


The Negotiator

by chaekmate (usernamewhatamidoing)



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F, crisisnegotiator!mina, forensicsketchartist!chaeyoung, policeAU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2018-11-09 21:43:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 24,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11113461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/usernamewhatamidoing/pseuds/chaekmate
Summary: Looking back on it now, she realized that probably wasn't the most opportune time to have a sudden epiphany about her attraction to a certain someone. In fact it probably only made the situation worse. And don't get her wrong, it wasn't only because there was a gun pressed to her head and Mina was kind of her only hope of surviving. No, Mina was kind and cute and caring and, dear god she really needed to prioritize right now.





	1. Ceilings

**Author's Note:**

> Police AU meets Childhood Friend AU (feat. forensic sketch artist Chaeyoung and crisis negotiator Mina).

_"...I haven't stopped your smoking yet, so I'll share your cigarette, just to feel it in my fingers, walk around 'til 3 a.m., tell me what I know again, to keep myself from second guessing...Hold the summer in your hands, 'til the summer turns to sand, we were staring at our ceilings, thinking of what we'd give, to have one more day of sun...Silver dreams bring me to you..." - Local Natives: Ceilings_

_//_

"Hey, all staff meeting in five." 

Chaeyoung nodded, but continued flipping through the report she was currently glued to. 

"Chaeyoung, are you coming?" The voice asked her again, this time with a tap on the back. 

"Huh?"

Behind her, Jeongyeon stood with a hand on her hip, eyebrows raised. 

"The morning staff meeting? You coming? We don't want to be late like last time." 

"Oh, uh yeah hang on." Snapping the folder closed, Chaeyoung quickly straightened her uniform and followed the older girl to the meeting room. 

"Aish, see this is what happens when you wait." Jeongyeon muttered as she leaned against the wall closest to the entrance. 

Barely squeezing herself inside the hot and crowded room, Chaeyoung had to stand on her tip toes to see over the crowd of officers. 

"Good morning." The loud voice of Chief Park rang out, almost immediately silencing the hum in the room. "I hope you are all having a pleasant one. Because it is the start of a new month, Major Im will debrief us on some pending cases." 

Six battery and assault cases, thirteen reported instances of theft, two missing child reports; the list could go on, and on. 

And, well. It did. 

Chaeyoung could have sworn she stood there for at least twenty five minutes waiting for the major to finish listing cases, until the chief took the podium back. 

Clearing her throat, Chief Park begin again. "Thank you Major. Now, another important order of business. As you all know, Summer is coming up, and statistically that season spells trouble for us. With the city's increased activity during this time, we have taken precautions to hire in some new staff, one of which will be joining us today."

This peaked Chaeyoung's interest. 

Ever since she'd been transferred to the city, the size of the police force had astounded her. It seemed as if every time she turned around she would be faced with someone she'd never seen before, so to bring on more staff just seemed unnecessary to her. 

"I'd like you to give a warm welcome to our new crisis negotiation officer, Mina Myoui." 

A roar of applause rang through the room as everyone's eyes searched for the new recruit, however before Chaeyoung could try to get a glimpse of the bowing figure the chief had had moved onto the next order of business. 

"Alright, now, what you've all be waiting for, assignments." 

From there, began the long listing of duties for each department; most people leaving immediately after hearing their name and placement for the day. 

As the room thinned out, Chaeyoung went to stand next to Jeongyeon. 

"What do you think of the new hire?"

"Eh? Oh I don't know, I guess it's good. The precinct has been getting a lot of threats lately." 

Chaeyoung hummed in agreement. "Did you get a look at her?" 

Jeongyeon smirked. "Not really why? You looking?" 

"What? No, no I was just wondering what she looked like." Chaeyoung sputtered, affronted by her friends insinuation.

Jeongyeon simply shrugged. "I mean I don't think it's a bad thing. Maybe it would be good for you to focus on something else and not work yourself to death."

"It's not like that Jeongyeon." 

Suddenly, the voice called from the front, "Yoo Jeongyeon, patrol duty, downtown." 

Throwing her head back, Jeongyeon sighed. "Man, I was hoping to get desk duty today. I am way behind on reports." 

"Maybe if you stayed longer you could actually get work done." 

"Meh, and risk being boring? No thank you."

"Hey!" 

Jeongyeon laughed before waving good bye to find her parter for the day.  

"Son Chaeyoung, Forensics, district 25." 

Now it was Chaeyoung's turn to sigh.

The city was district 10.

Which meant she was being assigned somewhere at least a couple hours south. 

Trudging out of the meeting room, Chaeyoung begin gathering the things she would need for her shift. 

"Officer Son?"

"Yes?"  She replied, straightening up and turning around. 

"Ah, Sana- um," Chaeyoung paused, eyes locking on an unsettlingly familiar face just behind them, realization hitting her like a bucket of ice water being poured on her. 

 "I mean, Staff Sergeant Mintozaki. Um, what can I do for you?" Her eyes darting back and forth between the two women.

At this, Sana laughed. "Ah, when you say it out loud it becomes quite the mouthful. Relax Chaeyoung, I just want to introduce you to someone."

"This," Sana continued as she gestured for the woman to come closer, "is Mina Myoui. Our new recruit." 

Chaeyoung faltered slightly, but still politely introduced herself and bowed in greeting; the latter doing the same. 

_Maybe she doesn't remember._

"Since she's new here, I wanted to know if you'd be willing to take her along with you today. Maybe fill her in on some stuff?" 

"Oh, well sure. I'd um, I'd love to." Chaeyoung said, smiling at the two. 

"Fantastic! Ms. Myoui why don't you grab your bag?" Sana asked, to which the women promptly went to go collect. 

Once she was out of earshot, Chaeyoung spoke again. 

"Sana, not that I'm complaining or anything, but. Wouldn't it be better to put her with a field officer?"  

"Eh, well  _technically_  speaking yes."

"So? Why me?"

Pursing her lips, Sana took a breath before stepping closer. "Well, this is a favor for Chief Park. It was requested that you and Mina be paired together today."

"Jihyo requested this?" Chaeyoung asked, tilting her head in confusion. 

"Oh my. All right, I'm going to tell you something. A hypothetical something, ok?" 

Chaeyoung simply nodded.

"Alright well, say, Jihyo, Chief Park, wanted to build a special,  _hypothetical,_ unit for crisis control. And, say,  _hypothetically_ , you and Mina were chosen to be in that unit. We'd probably want to see how you two work together right?"

"Right," Chaeyoung said, slowly drawing out the word. "Hypothetically." 

"Yes, of course." Sana smiled, returning to her original spot. "Oh, her comes Mina. Look alive, also, that story is just between you and me ok?"

"Yeah, ok." Chaeyoung responded, still slightly anxious from the whole debacle.

"Alright then! All settled?" Sana asked, though not really looking for a response as she begin pushing both Chaeyoung and Mina towards the exit. "Great, see you both at the end of shift!"

Standing outside the precinct still slightly confused at what had transpired Chaeyoung blinked. 

"Um, so, yeah. We should- should get a cruiser yeah?" She stuttered, addressing her assigned partner. 

"Sure." Came the soft reply. 

Nodding vigorously, Chaeyoung set a brisk pace as she led them to the back lot where they would pick an empty one up. 

Man. today was going to be a  _long_  day.


	2. Past Lives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to put a small disclaimer here for those of you who are squeamish or dislike reading about violent acts (I'm not sure how in depth I will go with these things yet but I will always try my best to forewarn you! This chapter shouldn't have anything too graphic). (P.S. Things in italics show thoughts and flashbacks)

//

_"...Past lives couldn't ever hold me down, lost love is sweeter when it's finally found, I've got the strangest feeling, this isn't our first time around...All my past lives they got nothing on me, golden eagle you're the one and only flying high, through the cities and the sky...I'll take you way back (countless centuries), do you remember? (that you were meant to be), my queen of hearts (meant to be my love)..." - Børns: Past Lives_

//

_"Chaeyoung, are you up?"_

_"No."_

_Walking into the dimly lit room, the older woman sighed._

_"Dear, I know this is hard for you, but the move was for the best." She said, pulling the covers back to reveal a pouting Chaeyoung._

_"I'm not going."_

_"Sweetie, yes you are come on."_

_"Nope."_

_Taking a deep breath her mother relented. "Alright, how about I make a deal with you?"_

_Chaeyoung contemplated the idea before crossing her arms. "What kind of deal?"_

_Smiling, she leaned closer, "If you go today, and don't like it, then you won't have to go back. Remember what I always tell you? If you don't ever try-"_

_"How will you ever know." Chaeyoung finished, looking down as she played with her stuffed animal._

_"Exactly. Now, how about it."  
A moment passed before Chaeyoung spoke again in a quiet voice. "Will you make pancakes?" _

_"Of course dear."_

_"Ok, I'll go." Chaeyoung sighed._

_"That's the spirit," her mother laughed._

_"Now hurry up, your already behind."_

_Swinging her feet down from the bed, Chaeyoung slowly begin to get ready for her day._

_She hated the fact that they had to move.  
To her, it felt unfair. Like she was being punished even though she didn't do anything wrong. _

_And rationally, (well, as rationally as she could at six years old), she understood that it was no ones fault except for that "stupid old guy" who fired her mother.  
But it wasn't like she could do anything about it now. _

_Face fixed with concentration, Chaeyoung stared hard into the mirror, trying to fix her hair into two pigtails._

_She could never seem to get them quite right._

_"Chaeyoung," she heard her mother call from the other room, "breakfast is ready!"_

_"Coming!"_

//

"Um, so, Ms. Myoui was it?" Chaeyoung asked, awkwardly clearing her throat. "If you don't mind me asking, um, where are you from? It's just, your name doesn't really sound Korean."  

"Ah, I'm originally from Japan. I moved to Korea when I was young though." 

"Oh, cool." 

Tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, Chaeyoung glanced beside her as she slowed at a red light. 

The woman was fairly quiet and really didn't give her a lot to go on. 

All Chaeyoung knew was her name and nationality. And at this rate, she had a feeling that was all the personal information she was going to get out the other for today. 

Which was alright with her really.   
Well, not really but she wasn't going to pry. 

It's not like she knew for certain Ms. Myoui was who she was thinking of anyway.

For all she knew there could be thousands of Myoui Mina's out there.   

Pulling into a gravel parking lot, Chaeyoung stopped in front of a small brick building; its crooked sign emblazoned with a faded block numeral ten. 

"Probably didn't expect this on your first day, huh?" Chaeyoung said, stepping out of the squad car. 

"Not really." Ms. Myoui replied, smiling politely at her. "Are you in forensics?" 

"Mm, mainly facial reconstructions but yeah, I do a lot of general stuff as well." 

Opening the door, Chaeyoung let her enter first. 

"Oh! Thank god your here I don't think I can handle another minute with that idiot down there." A voice exclaimed while practically knocking her over. 

"Dahyun? Why are you here?" Chaeyoung asked, trying to slyly squirm her way out of the embrace.

"Of all things this district right? Eh, guess I had it coming since I've been out so long. No big deal though, it's just for the week." Dahyun said, finally releasing Chaeyoung. "Speaking of, who is this?" 

"Ah, Dahyun, this is Ms. Myoui, our new crisis negotiator." 

"Ooh fancy," Dahyun laughed, grabbing the latter's hand and shaking it firmly, "Detective Kim, but just call me Dahyun. It's a pleasure." 

"Nice to meet you as well..." Mina trailed off, trying to politely take her hand back. 

"Um, Dahyun?" Chaeyoung interrupted, "you want to show us why we're here?" 

Gasping as if surprised, Dahyun's eyes went wide. "Oh yeah! Almost forgot." 

Smiling sheepishly, Dahyun gestured for them to follow her down the hall. 

"Nothing special to be honest, but folks around here probably aren't as used to things like this happening." 

Opening the door to a small exam room, Dahyun ushered them inside before stopping at the foot of a plastic curtain.

"Be wary, the mad doctor is in town." She muttered, rolling her eyes before pulling the curtain aside and ducking further into the room. 

Following closely behind, they were greeted by a blindingly white room with  bleached curtains, tiles and walls. And as the curtain closed behind them, the strong aroma of formaldehyde and rubbing alcohol became almost suffocating. 

// 

_"Alright class, I'm happy to say we have a new student today, why don't you introduce yourself dear?"_

_Hugging the straps of her bag closer to her, Chaeyoung nervously tucked her feet inwards and stared at the ground as murmurs were exchanged._

_"H-hello. My name is Son Chaeyoung." Bowing, she quickly looked to the teacher for permission to sit, shuffling to a seat nearest the back._

_Tuning out the blabbering teacher in the front, Chaeyoung gazed out the window and sighed._

_She really wanted to hate it here, but all in all it didn't seem to horrible._

_The school was big and fancy, lunch was actually edible, and from what she saw the playground was pretty nice._

_Before she knew it, the bell had rung and the teacher opened the doors to allow them outside for lunch._

_Wandering until she found a spot of shade, Chaeyoung quietly sat and ate her lunch, enjoying the weather by herself._

_"Hey, you're that new kid right?"_

_Looking up, Chaeyoung saw that there were now a small crown of kids in front of her. "Y-yes. I'm Chaeyoung."_

_"How old are you?" One asked, stepping forward._

_"I'm six."_

_"You're tiny for six. I'm five and I'm taller than you."_

_Puffing up her chest, Chaeyoung stood up and snarled at the boy._

_They simply laughed and roughly pushed passed her, knocking her against the nearby tree._

_Feeling tears begin to form, Chaeyoung furiously swiped her hands over her eyes._

_"Are you alright?" A softer voice asked her._

_Looking up, she saw a girl peering down at her._

_"I saw what happened and wanted to see if you were ok. Those kids are really jerks sometimes."_

_"I'm fine." Chaeyoung replied, embarrassed to have been caught in such a situation._

_"Oh! Your arm, there's blood."_

_Looking down, she noticed a small trail of blood flowing from her wrist, down to her forearm._

_"Oh, I-I didn't even notice."_

_"Here," the girl said reaching out her arm for Chaeyoung to take, "I'll take you to the nurses so we can get that taken care of."_

_Hesitantly, Chaeyoung took the girls hand and was pulled up._

_"Ok."_

//

Standing in front of low cot was an older gentleman who was mumbling as he tinkered with a tool of some sort.

"Ahjussi! I'm back with friends!" Dahyun called out, slowly approaching the crouching figure. 

A glance over his shoulder revealed tired eyes and a flash of spectacles. 

"And who might they be?" He asked, giving a pointed flare at them.

"I'm forensic specialist Son Chaeyoung sir." 

"Crisis negotiations officer, Myoui Mina."

Whipping his head back, the man let out an audible huff. 

"Christ, why send you two down? Can't they see I've got everything under control." 

"Listen, why don't you and I go get something to eat, while we let Officer Son and Officer Myoui take a look at the victim." Dahyun said with a tone of finality, already beginning to coax the doctor toward the exit. 

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Chaeyoung let out a small laugh. 

"Eh, well, shall we take a look?" She asked, gesturing to the covered body on the table. 

Reaching over, she gently folded the sheet down to expose the face and upper torso of the victim. 

"A burn victim?" Mina asked, peering over Chaeyoung's shoulder. 

"Looks like it, where the chart," she whispered, mostly to herself while glancing around the space. 

"Here," Mina said, handing over the weighty clipboard. 

"Ah, thanks." 

Taking the chart, Chaeyoung took a brief glance through the summary before humming.

"Kim Doyun, male, age 56. Says it was a factory fire."

Setting the board down, Chaeyoung bent back down to examine his face more closely. 

"Eh, you ok there?" Chaeyoung asked as she looked back to see how her partner was doing. 

"I'm fine. Sorry." The latter replied, looking the side uncomfortably. 

"Ah, it's alright. I get it, you know when I was younger I couldn't stand this stuff, you know, injuries and blood." Chaeyoung said, laughing at the though.

"That's...very ironic." Mina chuckled lightly as a hint of a smile crept flashed across her face. 

"Isn't it though? Well, anyway, I just have to get some photographs and then we can leave." 

//

_"Hold still now this will sting a bit," the nurse said while holding the cotton swab above Chaeyoung's cut._

_Looking away, Chaeyoung clenched her eyes shut in anticipation._

_Suddenly, the cold liquid begin to flow over the open wound, making her whimper at the sensation._

_"See you're doing great." The other girl said as she held Chaeyoung's hand tightly._

_"Yes, and guess what?" The nurse said as she patted a bandage on her arm. "You're all done. Now rest here for a bit while I go and let your teacher know you're all set."_

_Leaving the two girls alone, the nurse walked out of the room and shut the door._

_"How do you feel?" The girl asked, settling herself next to Chaeyoung on the exam table._

_"Fine." Chaeyoung said, staring at the cartoonish bandage that now took up a considerable amount of room on her arm. "Thank you...," Chaeyoung looked next to her as she trailed off._

_"Mina, Myoui Mina." The girl - Mina - said smiling at her, "and you are?"_

_"Chaeyoung, Son Chaeyoung."_

_"Well it's nice to meet you Son Chaeyoung."_

_Exchanging toothy grins, the two sat in silence until the nurse came back to release them; hands still entwined between them._

_If this meant that she had made a friend, Chaeyoung thought, then she supposed today wasn't so bad after all._


	3. Like Real People Do

_"...I had a thought dear, however scary, about that night (the bugs and the dirt), why were you digging, what did you bury, before those hands pulled me from the earth...I will not ask you where you came from, I will not ask and (neither should you)...Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips, we should just kiss like real people do...I knew that look dear, eyes always seeking (was there in someone that dug long ago), so I will not ask you, why you were creeping, in some sad way I already know…" Hozier: Like Real People Do_

//

Polite demeanor? Check. 

Gummy smile? Check. 

Cute laugh? Check. 

Those things however, were basic traits.  

Chaeyoung knew that. She knew that there were hundreds upon thousands of people who potentially held one, or all of those traits. 

_How willing would she be to take a DNA test?_

Mentally berating herself for even contemplating such an outlandish thought, she sighed. 

Her day spent with Ms. Myoui started out routinely; objectively.

But the more time she spent with the new hire, the more her confidence in her prior conviction that her mind was simply playing tricks on her began to wane.

And no matter how much she wanted it to be false- no matter how much she tried to convince herself that Ms. Myoui and her Mina were completely separate entities, the similarities were irrefutable. 

Stalking to the back of the precinct, she roughly pushed the conference door open. 

Numerous uniformed heads turned in her direction, and at the head of the table, Chief Park had her eyes narrowed with an expectant look on her face. 

“Officer Son, it seems you’ve come at an inconvenient time.”

“I need to talk to you.” 

“Officer, surely this matter can wait-“

“I said I need to talk to you Jihyo!” 

This caught her attention. 

Well, everyones attention. 

Eyes wide, she realized that probably wasn’t the best tone to address her _superior_ with in a room where she was literally the bottom of the food chain. 

“Um, sorry, it's...important.” She tried again, taking a breath to try and calm down.

She could have sworn she saw Jihyo’s eye twitch.

“Well, it must be.” Clearing her throat, Jihyo stood. “Gentlemen, Ladies, please excuse me for a moment.”

Being pulled out of the room, she scrambled to keep up with Jihyo’s long stride towards her office. 

“Please, you first,” Jihyo said, gesturing to her office with a menacing smile. 

_She had it coming now._

With the slam of a door Jihyo walked passed her and settled herself behind her desk, eyes seething. 

“Sit down.” 

“Chief-“

“Oh, so now you decide to properly address me? You could have gotten me fired with that stunt you just pulled Chaeyoung!”

“Look I’m sorry-“

“I mean, honestly. What were you thinking? Were you even thinking? I’m your boss-“ 

“I don’t need my boss, I need my friend!” Chaeyoung all but hissed, chest heaving from anxiousness. 

A terse silence fell upon the room. 

“Chaeyoung…,” Jihyo began, eyes softening as she finally stopped to listen.

“No, you need to listen. I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but just don’t. It’s not funny.” 

At this, Jihyo became confused. “I don’t understand, what are you-“

“Sticking me with Ms. Myoui? Mina Myoui? And this whole crisis unit, what’s that about.”

“Ah, yes. Mina, how was she today?”

“Goddamnit Jihyo, stop playing games.” Chaeyoung huffed. 

“I’m not. I’m just trying to help you.”

“You have no idea what you’re doing. No idea who you’re messing with.”

“Well actually I do, been tracking them for some time now.”

At this, Chaeyoung’s blood begin to boil. “So what, she’s a bargaining chip? And me?”

“Of course not,” Jihyo replied, pulling an appalled face, “I just thought-isn’t this what you wanted? To see her again? It took me months to track her down you know.”

Slowly backing out of the office, Chaeyoung shook her head. “Yeah and there’s probably a reason for that. She doesn't even remember me. When I confided in you about that- christ, Jihyo. You had no right. No right.” 

Watching the door shudder in its frame and her friend storm her way out, Jihyo leaned back into her chair and blew out a breath. 

“I see she didn’t take it well,” Sana said, poking her head into the office a moment later. 

Barely glancing in her direction, Jihyo shook her head. 

“Maybe we’re pushing her too soon.”

“No,” Jihyo sighed, standing up, “she needs this, she just doesn’t see it yet.”

//

_At six years old, Chaeyoung knew she was different from the kids she went to school with._

_Not like it really bothered her, being different._

_It was just hard not to notice._

_Notice that her clothes were never as colorful as her peers, her shoes never as shiny; her lunchbox never quite as full._

_And she could vividly remember the first time she saw her mother cry was after she had asked if they were poor._

_She didn't have to get an answer to know._

_But like she said before, it didn't really bother her._

_And, well, it didn't hurt that she was friends with Mina Myoui._

_At first it was odd, because Chaeyoung had never truly had a friend before._

_It seemed like she was always moving from one place to another for her mother to find work before the teacher could learn her name, let alone make friends._

_So when she woke up the next day and saw Mina smiling at her from across the classroom, she was a bit unsettled._

_But what was even more unsettling was the fact that she now had a constant in her life of ever changing variables._

_Mina was warm and kind._

_Smart and observant._

_And most importantly, she was reliable._

_Ever since her first day, they had been inseparable._

_It was never, oh there's Chaeyoung, or, oh there's Mina; it was always Chaeyoung and Mina._

_They were like one unit- stronger together than alone._

_Yet, Chaeyoung sometimes still had her doubts._

_She had only know her father through the checks he sent her mother._

_And she knew that her mother, despite always trying her best, was not as strong as she appeared._

_And so she couldn't discard that tiny piece of herself that screamed, "What are you doing? You're letting her get too close!"_

_If only she had know how futile those warnings would be._

// 

After storming out of the chief's office, Chaeyoung found herself brooding at her desk with an open report but no work to show. 

"Someone looks rough, what's eating you short stuff?" Jeongyeon asked, just walking out of the locker rooms with her bag hung over her shoulder. 

"You wanna go out tonight?" Chaeyoung asked, not bothering to look up at her friend.

"Wow, didn't think I was your type." 

"Not like that," Chaeyoung said, rolling her eyes. 

Laughing, Jeongyeon leaned against her desk and side eyed her. "Well, this is a change that's for sure."

"So do you want to or not?"

"Of course, how about the bar a couple blocks from here? I'll meet you there at nine."

"Great," Chaeyoung said, gathering her things, "see you then." 

// 

_The bitter cold of Winter trapped them inside as piles of snow accumulated on the windowsill._

_Bundled up in the back of the classroom, both Chaeyoung and Mina were content nibbling on the remainders of their lunch._

_"Hey Chaeyoung, are you doing anything for Christmas?" Mina asked, scooting closer her friend._

_"Mm, no I don't think so, you?"_

_"My family and I are going to Jeju for the holidays."_

_"Oh, that sounds fun," Chaeyoung replied, smiling despite the sinking feeling of having to spend Christmas without her friend._

_"Yeah, um, did you maybe want to come? My parents said it would be okay to bring a friend."_

_"Seriously?"_

_"Yeah seriously," Mina said giving a soft smile._

_"Uh, well my mother-"_

_"She can come too! I'd have to ask but I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind."_

_To say Chaeyoung was shocked would have been an understatement._

_Money had never been something they had discussed (or a thought that had even crossed their minds) but she figured Mina's family must have been pretty well off to afford to take that many people with them for the holidays._

_Not like it mattered._

_She just felt as if the would be taking advantage of the Myoui's- regardless of how badly she wanted to go._

_She was going to decline, but-_

_With Mina smiling hopefully at her like that, how could she refuse?_

_She could never say no to Mina Myoui._

_"Ok, I'll- I'll talk to my mother about it tonight."_

_"Great! I hope you can come, it would be so fun."_

 // 

Stepping into the dimly lit bar, Chaeyoung glanced around for Jeongyeon before climbing onto a stool and ordering a bottle of beer to start her night off. 

As a general rule, she really tried to stay away from alcohol. 

But today, was an exception. 

Today, had been kind of a shit day, and she felt like a she deserved to unwind a bit. 

_She was sure her counselor wouldn't have disagreed._

Taking a sip of her drink almost out of spite, Chaeyoung swirled around on the stool and saw the door swing open, ushering in two new customers. 

Initially perking up at the sight of her friend, she was immediately disappointed to see who was with her. 

Standing there beside Jeongyeon, was non other than Mina Myoui. 

It was like she could’t escape her. 

Paying for her drink, Chaeyoung quietly slipped through the back door and headed back towards her apartment. 

//

_If there was one thing Chaeyoung was used to as a child it was coming home to an empty house._

_So that day, when she opened the door of their apartment to find it full of people in suits, she was as surprised as she was concerned._

_“Mom?”_

_“In here dear,” her mother called from the back bedroom._

_Pushing past the crowd of people, Chaeyoung found her mother sitting on her bed with stacks of papers scattered around her._

_“Mom what’s going on? Who are all those people?”_

_Her mother only smiled sadly, and continued shuffling through envelopes. “It’s nothing you should be worried about dear. Why don’t you go to your room and get started on your homework? I’ll start dinner here soon.”_

_Though reluctant, Chaeyoung listened to her mother and locked herself in her bedroom._

_When she emerged an hour later, the people in suits were gone._

_And so was her mother._

_The only thing left behind was a small meal covered in saran wrap and a note on the table that was too mangled to read._


	4. Ease

_"...Now I'm down to my skin and bones, my baby listens to me on the phone, but I can't help feeling like I'm all alone (all alone), the truth is (the stars are falling babe), and I'd never ever thought that I would say, I'm afraid of the life that I've made...But all this driving (is driving me crazy), and all this moving (is proving to get the best of me), and I've been trying to hide it (but lately), every time I think I'm better (pickin' my head up getting nowhere)...Take me back to the basics and the simple life, tell me all of the things that make you feel at ease, your touch (my comfort and my lullaby), holding' on tight and sleepin' at night..." Troye Sivan: Ease (feat. Broods)_

//

Complacency was something she had craved for as a child, and yet, at the age of twenty seven, she found herself dreading it. 

The ideal vision for an adult was something she couldn't quite fit herself into. 

That idea of having a nuclear family with a dog, white picket fence and a minivan was something she honestly thought was just an over romanization. 

And if she wanted to be blunt, she would say that everything she'd been taught as a kid was overzealous in its attempt to instill _classical_ virtues in her. 

Or maybe she was just bitter about things that were past her control. 

But she digressed. 

_This was what happened when she drank too much._

Chaeyoung stared blankly at the news that had been playing on her crackling tv for the past two hours until a faint knock caught her attention. 

"Chae? You in there?" 

It was Jeongyeon. 

Sighing, Chaeyoung let her head roll back onto the couch and closed her eyes. 

_Maybe if I ignore her she'll go away._

Hearing the sound of a key being inserted into the lock and a soft click, she groaned. 

"I gave you that key for emergencies only Jeongyeon." 

"You never showed. It was an emergency." The latter replied, stepping fully into the apartment and locking the door behind her. 

"Didn't feel like it." 

"Mm, well it seems you did a good enough job on your own," Jeongyeon said, glancing around at the various discarded bottles on the floor. 

Dropping down next to Chaeyoung on the couch, Jeongyeon switched the tv off.  
"So, you wanna tell me what's really bothering you?" 

"Nope." 

"I had drinks with Mina, she seemed nice."

At this Chaeyoung snorted. "Had fun did you." 

"Eh, she's not really my type. But as a coworker she isn't half bad. She talked about you."

At this Chaeyoung tensed slightly. 

"Oh yeah? What about me." 

"Just that you were nice earlier. She honestly was kinda hard to read"   
Jeongyeon shrugged. "But, I'd be willing to bet my badge that you know more than you're letting on."

"Why don't you just ask Jihyo? I'm sure she'd be more than willing to fill you in." Chaeyoung said picking at the fabric of the cushion. 

"Maybe I want to hear it from you." 

"Then stop beating around the bush and just ask." 

"What's your relationship to Mina." 

Pursing her lips, Chaeyoung contemplated her answer. 

"Complicated."

Letting out a loud laugh, Jeongyeon looked at her. "That's not an answer." 

"It's the truth?"

"Are you asking me or telling me."

"It's a long, complicated story."

"So un-complicate it for me." 

Seeing that her friend was not going to relent she clicked her tongue before biting down on it and looking ahead at the blank television screen. 

_She was still way too sober for this._

//

_If she were to split her life into chapters, she could only clearly identify three._

_The first truly began the night her mother had disappeared._  

_Because it wasn't unusual for her mother to not come home at night and only reappear in the morning looking worse for wear- the implications of which she wouldn't truly realize until she was older- she hadn't thought much of the incident._

_But that night had been different._

_Her mother was back that morning like always- but her eyes lacked their signature luster._

_Her pancakes didn't taste as good._

_Her hug didn't feel as warm._

_She knew something had changed, but she didn't know what._

_And being as young as she was, she didn't want to ask for fear of upsetting her mother._

_So she did the next best thing._

_She became a distraction._

_By nature she was a quite child; obedient and kind to a fault._

_But as she grew older she realized the only way to actually see her mother express, well, anything, was to do the unexpected._

_It started off small; a broken plate or cup here and there and if she was feeling extra brave maybe even bringing home a bad grade._

_Like simple amusement are prone to do though, the immediate effect her actions began to wear off, forcing her to escalate her behavior and utilize more extreme methods like smoking and drinking._

_She became the embodiment of every classic rebellious teenage trope._

_(At yet at a certain point she didn't know who she was meant to be distracting)._

_The second chapter came with the  
somewhat anti-climatic epiphany she had one night when she was sixteen._

_Staring up at her ceiling she realized the fact that there were only two people whom she truly loved._

_Her mother, and Mina Myoui._

_Her mother, who she desperately tried to connect with- who was so close and yet so distant was the only family she'd ever known._

_And Mina, well, she found her way on Chaeyoung's list because she was just that._

_Mina._

_Mina, who had been her first friend._

_Her first kiss._

_Her first girlfriend._

_Her first constant._

_They were a funny sight really._

_Especially in such a small town, the two of them were infamous for being polar opposites._

_Mina Myoui: the class representative and prodigy dancer._

_Son Chaeyoung: the trouble maker with the estranged mother._

_So yes, they had history, and yes, it was complicated._

_The final part of her life was marked by the death of her mother when she was seventeen._

_The police said it was a random drive by but Chaeyoung would contest that vehemently until the day she died._

_At that point she knew better than to believe in coincidences._

_That was when she first thought to enroll in the police academy._

_It was also the first time she had met Jihyo and Sana._

_Both were still just deputies at the time, but they each held a certain air about them that fascinated her._

_She also understood that they had access to certain files that she had a particular interest in- files about her mothers case._

_(She supposed she found herself eventually enjoying her work)._

// 

"Okay...so, you have mommy issues, dated Mina and only became a cop to get access to sensitive material?" 

"Really? That's all you got out of that?" 

Jeongyeon shrugged. "Kinda? I don't know I'm still confused. If you and Mina were so close, why doesn't she remember you? And what is up with all this stuff with your mother?"

"My mother was important to me. Even though we weren't really close, when she died, it hit me pretty hard. It made me want to better myself, and I also wanted to know the truth behind her murder. I suppose coaxing from Jihyo had a part in that also, because she took me in, but still I've changed a lot since then." 

"So you and Jihyo grew up together? That makes sense why you two are so casual around each other." 

"Yeah kinda, her family fostered me until I became of age and moved out." 

"Alright, we're making progress." Jeongyeon smiled, looking over at her friend. "So what does Mina have to do with this?"

"It wouldn't be my story to tell. And even if I did tell you, I honestly don't know the whole story." 

"Oh come on. You have to know something."  Jeongyeon whined. 

"Maybe, it wouldn't matter anyway. We had a sort of, falling out you could say a while back." 

Looking down at her hands, Chaeyoung continued picking at the cracking skin of her thumb. 

If she were honest, it felt good to tell Jeongyeon the truth. 

Since coming to the city, she had kind of shut herself off to people, never really trusting anyone besides Jihyo with such personal information.

But she still, she refused to drag Jeongyeon into her mess. 

"I think that's enough for tonight." She said, eyeing the clock from where she sat. 

"Sure. Whatever is good for you bud, but let me ask this." Turning her body towards Chaeyoung, she stared into her eyes and asked, "Did you- _do you_ miss Mina?" 

Replying almost immediately, she bit back the burning sensation welling up from her eyes.

"Everyday." 

// 

Flipping through the report, Jihyo stared at the photograph clipped to the front page. 

"Looks like we're as close as we are far from catching him. His trail went cold about an hour ago." Sana said, taking a seat, tucking her radio back into its pocket. 

"I just don't get him, his patterns are so random." Tugging at her hair, Jihyo sighed and closed the file. 

"Perhaps. Or maybe he's just as heartless as we initially thought."

"No, if he was he would have killed Mina when he had the chance. He's not heartless; he's manipulative."

"And Chaeyoung?" 

Drumming her fingers against the arm of her chair, Jihyo looked back at the file. 

"It would seem his daughter understands more than even she knows herself." 


	5. I Wanna Get Better

_"...Hey I hear the voice of a preacher from the back room, calling my name and I follow just to find you, I trace the faith to a broken down television (and put on the weather), and I've trained myself to give up on the past 'cause I (frozen time between hearses and caskets), lost control when I panicked at the acid test (I wanna get better)...While my friends were getting high and chasing girls down parkway lines (I was losing my mind 'cause the love, the love, the love, the love, the love)...I didn't know I was lonely 'til I saw your face, I wanna get better (better, better, better)...I go up to myere's girls on the ceiling, cut out their pictures and I chase that feeling, of an eighteen year old (who didn't know what loss was), now I'm a stranger…" Bleachers: I Wanna Get Better_

//

_The funeral arrangements that were finalized last week had begun, only serving to make Chaeyoung's mood worse._

_At the start of it all, she was numb._

_Just in complete shock and disbelief that her mother was dead._

_Then, she was sad for a couple days after the fact- but now?_

_Now she was just angry._

_Even more so as more and more extended family began coming out the woodwork in, "concern" for her and with "grievances" for her mother._

_(More like they were coming to collect- which she thought was absolutely hilarious seeing as they were struggling to foot their grocery bill just last month)._

_She guessed if there was any upside to this situation it was that her mother didn't have to struggle anymore._

_"Stop scowling, and come here before you strangle yourself," Mina chastised her before taking the crumpled tie from her hands and moving behind her._

_"Sorry," she grumble, watching as the latter began calmly fixing her collar and looping the long tie around her neck. "I'm just, a bit overwhelmed."_

_"As you should be, it's a lot to take in." Finishing the knot, Mina gently pushed Chaeyoung to face her and fussed with her jacket before smoothing down her hair._

_Hands on her back, Mina gently turned both of them to look in the mirror before wrapping her arms around her neck and settling her head on Chaeyoung's shoulder. "What's up?"_

_"Nothing."_

_Mina eyed her with a look but didn't press her. "You look nice."_

_"Thank you. So do you."_

_Straightening up, Mina rounded her and placed a light kiss on her cheek before turning away to tidy the room. "My parents, they um, wanted to come to the funeral, I wasn't sure if you wanted that though so I haven't said anything."_

_"Why wouldn't I? I'm mean, it is kinda surprising, I could have sworn your parents hated me. But of course they're welcome."_

_If there was one thing that Chaeyoung understood, it was that her and Mina couldn't have been more different._   
_Mina's family was nothing short of an enigma to her (and really everyone in the town)._

_They were the kind of people who lived in that mansion over the hill, the kind of family that everyone speculated about:_

_I heard that they're royalty from overseas._

_I bet they're some high ranking government employees._

_They've gotta be the mafia._

_(In reality it was a lot more boring than that, Mina had told it to her one night, some long explanation about mutual funds and investments that went over her head)._

_Regardless, Chaeyoung just knew that Mina's parents were big important people who had a lot of money and who probably disliked the fact that their daughter was openly involved with a "shady figure" such as herself._

_And honestly, when she looked at the other girl, she couldn't believe that Mina would want to be with her either._

//

The tension in the air was palpable and suffocating. 

Or maybe she was projecting. 

Either way, Chaeyoung could tell this was not going to be a fun meeting. 

"So, what's up Chief? Why the long face?" Jeongyeon asked, trying to break the ice through nervous laughter.

Looking around, Chaeyoung could see Mina staring out the window, Dahyun nodding off in the corner, and Nayeon quietly talking with Sana. 

"I'm sure you must all be wondering why I have called you here. Shall we begin?" Jihyo asked before standing up to make her way to the front of the room. "Now, as you may know the district has been pushing us to be on high alert with Summer approaching. Especially since the number of threats we have been receiving has increased. "

"So," Sana begin,"we have selected seven people to be in a special unit specifically for intercepting and containing such situations."

"Seven? But there are only six of us here, who's the last person?" Dahyun questioned, waking up from her stupor.

"Forensic specialist Chou Tzuyu, who, unfortunately could not join us today. I'm sure some of you might be familiar with her, Chaeyoung?" 

Begrudgingly, she nodded in confirmation. "Sure, I know Dr. Chou, but what is this unit for? Why not just use the riot units for something like this?" 

"As we've said the district had been receiving threats of large scale attacks on the city. We want to create a team with qualified specialists who understand how to most effectively handle them." Jihyo replied.

At this Jeongyeon let out a loud laugh as she glanced around the room. 

In any other situation, Chaeyoung would have agreed with her friends sentiment; they were a somewhat odd group. 

But there was no denying it, the group was a smart bunch. 

Nayeon was a master coordinator and the highest ranked out them, so it was clear to her that she was there for leadership and protocol management. 

Dahyun, the somewhat unconventional detective, was street smart and definitely knew how to work a case.

Momo? Probably a tactical move seeing as she was still undercover in a local gang case the precinct was trying to bust for the past couple months. 

Jeongyeon was definitely the fighter of the group. Being a combat instructor at the academy she was one of the more capable officers. 

Mina, she supposed made sense. Being a crises negotiator she imagined that Jihyo was withholding exactly what kind of threats they had been receiving. 

And as for Tzuyu, she was a computer genius. With a specialty in hacking and system management she was another obvious choice.

The only one she really didn't understand was herself.

She had no real specialty. 

Sure, she could draw and sketch a suspect when given adequate details, and sure she could get around the lab well enough, but still. She was just another officer with no specialized area. 

It made her even more suspicious that she was before, which, really wasn't saying much. 

//

_The priest in the front of the church was droning on about something like forgiveness and practicing self restraint in desperate times such as these._

_She was only half listening though as she stared blankly ahead, feeling slightly bad that she didn't have the attention span for his spiel._

_But then again, she was never one to put a lot of stock in religion._

_Glancing around the space, she was only vaguely aware of the number of people in the hall, most of which she couldn't tell you who was who._

_The most peculiar arrival though was that of Mina's parents._

_Arriving fashionably late, the duo pulled up in a flurry of black cars and tight suits._

_"Ms. Son, we are very sorry for your loss." Mr. Myoui said, stiffly shaking her hand as the family payed their respects at the calling hours._

_"Thank you sir."_

_"Mina, why don't you give Ms. Son here some space and come visit with your dear parents," her mother gestured to some seats near the back, eyeing her with a look she knew was meant to hurt._

_Mina gave her a question look, to which Chaeyoung simply nodded and forced a smiled._

_"Go on, I know you have been able to spend a lot of time with them recently."_

_"Alright, just, if you need me you know where to find me." Mina said, slowly untangling their hands and moving toward her parents._

_"Yeah, I know where."_

_(The irony of that sentence would only hit her days after the funeral)._

// 

She was hot. 

Pulling at her uniform, she cursed the district for making them all black, and, despite what they claimed, the short sleeves did not help in any way. 

Squinting she saw that the dash displayed a temperature of a 98 degrees with a tiny sun next to it. 

"Man I'm melting in here, how much longer are we going to wait here?" Dahyun complained from the passenger side, fanning herself with a file. 

"Until Tzuyu clears us or Nayeon radios new orders." She replied, digging around the back for some water. 

Hearing the crackle of the radio, Chaeyoung quickly straightened herself and reached for the dash. 

" _Officer Son, are you still there?"_ Tzuyu's voice came muffled over the com system.

"Officer Son, reporting. Still in position." 

 _"Great. You're cleared for go, I just got off the line with Nayeon. Mina is inside just waiting for back up. Once inside, do not engage until she contacts you."_  

"Got it, thanks." 

Nudging her friend, Chaeyoung made to get out of the car. 

//

_"Are you alright?" Mina asked her, following her out as the last person in the church._

_By then, night had fallen and the parking lot was empty aside from the single black car waiting outside._

_"I'm fine, thanks so much for coming today."_

_"It's no problem. You sure you don't want a ride home? Or want me to stay with you for the night?"_

_"No, it's ok. I think I just need to walk it off."_

_"Okay, well. If you're sure." Leaning in, Mina engulfed her in a hug and swayed them slightly making Chaeyoung laugh._

_"Thanks."_

// 

 Rounding the corner, Chaeyoung silently pulled her gun from its holster and motioned for Dahyun to continue on. 

Peering out, both of them saw the perpetrator pointing a gun at a terrified group people crowded into a corner; across from them stood an unfazed Mina, her hands up surrendering control. 

"How long has she been in there?" Dahyun asked, whispering into her shoulder radio. 

" _Not long_ ," Nayeon replied," _she almost has the shooter relaxed, just wait a bit more, she'll give you the signal."_

They waited another fifteen minutes before Mina was able to successfully acquire the shooters gun and get him talking about his life. 

"She's good," Dahyun whispered.

She simply nodded and looked on at Mina as she continued to console the gun man. 

Meeting each other's eyes, Mina discreetly nodded to her, signaling that they could enter the room. 

Exchanging glances with Dahyun, the two of them quickly rushed the room. 

"Police, hands up now!" Dahyun yelled as she approached the assailant. 

As she went over to the group of people to start evacuating them, she glanced over at Mina and saw her coming towards her. 

"You ok?" She asked, holding the exit door open for the group of people. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. You?" 

"I'm good." 

// 

_The walk home was long, but the cool night air helped take her mind of the day._

_She honestly wasn't sure what she was going to do now._

_But she had resolved that she wanted to start making things right. Especially now that her mother had passed, she really had no reason to act out._

_But still, she knew it wouldn't be that easy._

_Pushing the door to her apartment open, she flicked the light on and slowly made her way inside until a figured appeared out of the shadows, startling her._

_"Hello, Chaeyoung."_  

 


	6. Panther

_"...Feel you get closer now, closer than you've been, but I need you in my arms (my eyes, my soul, my sunlit skies)...Just a quick wit, summer flame, burning in the glass, gotta dig down low to stay lit, crazy can't stay long and you wanna move fast but, good things take whit...Gimme your devotion baby, and we'll set the charms that thrill me so good, feel the race of our hearts strip the paint from the cars, steady as we move…Got nobody on my mind go and search my thoughts, only you on my riverbanks, throw my hours on your line no need to rush, pour my love down to make it rain..." Made In Heights: Panther_

_//_

With the success of the case, Jihyo thought is would be appropriate to throw a celebratory event for the team that night. 

Which, much to Chaeyoung's chagrin, was to be held later that evening. 

All she really wanted to do was go home, take a hot shower, and crash.

It had been a stressful day for her. 

Between the hostage situation and spending the day working with Mina, her brain had been working overtime trying not to burst in frustration. 

For one, she  _really_  needed to figure out what exactly Mina was doing here. 

And secondly, she also really needed to figure out exactly what Jihyo's motives were for the unit- more specifically, why she wanted her and Mina on the same team.

While she had her guesses, which she was ninety-nine percent positive about, she still left the older girl the benefit of the doubt. 

She was kind of her only family. 

"Chaeyoung you're coming tonight right?" Dahyun asked, walking up to her desk.

"I guess, if Jihyo is hosting it I'm assuming its unofficially mandatory."

Throwing her head back in laughter, Dahyun nodded. "Yeah probably, but hey, don't look too upset. Free food, am I right?" 

Smiling weakly, she nodded. "I guess." 

//

_"Hello, Chaeyoung."_

_The voice startled her so badly she almost screamed._

_Clutching her chest, she narrowed her eyes at the dark figure. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house."_

_"Mm, you wound me Chaeyoung, truly. Don't you remember me? Don't you recognize your own father?"_

_Glaring even harder, Chaeyoung immediately straightened her stance._

_"How would I when you abandoned us?" She practically sneered back._

_The man- her father- only laughed. "Well, I suppose you're right. However, that doesn't change the fact that I am your father."_

_"You're nothing to me. Now I suggest you get out of this house before I call the authorities."_

_"I wouldn't be so hasty now, I'm here with some very pertinent information."_

_"Don't you think you've done enough damage already? I don't have anything for you so just leave."_

_She was absolutely furious._

_It was true, she really didn't know a lot about her father. He had left both her and mother was she was still a toddler._

_From what she had heard though, he was a drunk who gambled away their money long before she was born; a man who was barely able to send a couple dollars a month of child support, if that._

_Fist clenched, she was a second away from clocking the man in the jaw as her smirked down at her._

_"If I told you it concerned that dear Mina of yours what would you say then?"_

_"What about her?" She asked, eyes widening immediately._

_"Ah, now I have your attention."_

_"What do you want. What about Mina."_

_She was livid now._

_"It seems you really care about this girl huh? Well, then you should do the right thing and leave her."_

_"What are you going on about, what do you know about it?"_

_Stepping closer, he advanced until he had backed her into the wall._

_"I don't want to have to hurt you Chaeyoung, or that Miyoui girl. She seems nice enough, young and pretty," He said flashing a slimy smile, "I'm sure she'd fetch a good price in the upper part of the state-"_

_"Shut up." She snapped. "Whatever you want, I'll give it you. Just- just don't touch her."_

_"Now we're getting somewhere. It's quite simple what I want really, I want you to leave that Myoui girl and the town."_

_"Why? What are you getting out of this?"_

_"I'll give you three days, just hold up your end of the bargain and no one gets hurt."_

_//_

Walking into the venue, Chaeyoung immediately spotted Nayeon and Jeongyeon chatting by the bar.

"Well, look who decided to show up!" Jeongyeon exclaimed, slinging her arm around the should as she walked over to them. 

Nayeon rolled her eyes. "She's only five minutes late, cut her some slack."

"Want something to drink?" Jeongyeon asked, ignoring Nayeon and flagging down the bartender, ordering a bottle of beer for her. "It's on me," she winked passing Chaeyoung the drink.

"Um, thanks." 

"Oh, look who's here." 

Glancing over towards the entrance, she watched as Mina entered to bar and looked around.

"Mina! Over here!" Jeongyeon called, waving her arm in the air wildly motioning her over. 

"Don't call her over here!" Chaeyoung hissed, slapping the other girl on the arm. 

"Ow, geez. It's fine, Mina's cool." 

"You got something against Myoui Chaeyoung?" Nayeon now asked, sipping lazily on her drink. 

"No, it's just-" 

"They've got stuff they need to work out." Jeongyeon answered for her, getting a confused look from the major.

Glaring at her friend she sighed.

"It's nothing really, I'm just. Tired. Just tired is all." She replied, sliding herself onto a barstool and slumping in the seat. 

"Do I want to know?" 

"Probably not. Mina! Hey, glad you could make it!" Jeongyeon exclaimed excitedly. "Want a drink?" 

"Hello, yes please. Do they have whiskey?"

"Hitting the hard stuff first huh? My kind of girl. I'm sure they do, why don't you take a seat by Chaeyoung while I get that for you?"

_It was official she was going to murder Jeongyeon._

"Oh that ok I can get it-"

"I insist, please have a seat!"

"Al-alright if you insist. Thank you." Bowing politely, Mina slid onto the stool next to her and offered her a small smile. "Hello Chaeyoung."

"Mina," she replied curtly, taking a large sip of her beer. 

// 

_Practically storming into the police station, Chaeyoung immediately stalked towards Officer Park's desk._

_"I need you to look into some files for me."_

_"Chaeyoung, what are you doing here?"_

_Rolling her eyes she repeated her question. "Nevermind that, can you look someone up for me please?"_

_Looking around, Jihyo's face formed and anxious line. "I don't know. I'm not really supposed to let civilians look at records Chaeyoung. Plus, who is that you need looked into so badly anyway?"_

_"My father."_

_"Ah. Well, that's, not a file I would be able to pull anyway. I'm sorry Chaeyoung."_

_"What do you mean you wouldn't be able to pull it anyway?"_

_Glancing around to check if anyone was listening, Jihyo gave her a guilty look and leaned forward. "Those files are sealed, at least, to me. I'm just a deputy. I don't have that kind of clearance, so even if I wanted to, I can't tell you anything about your father."_

_That made her pause._

_Obviously she was dealing with something bigger that she thought._

// 

Around two 'o'clock in the morning was when the bar started emptying out, most people going to sleep it off for their shifts tomorrow. 

She wouldn't admit it to anyone but she actually had enjoyed herself while it lasted.

And was able to stay surprisingly sober. 

"Hey, Chae, I'm headed home." Jeongyeon said, patting her on the shoulder. 

"Ok, yeah I'm coming." 

"Mm, well, what should we do with Mina?" 

"Mina?"

Looking over to the corner, Chaeyoung saw Mina nodding off in the corner of a booth. 

"Aish, why did you let her drink so much?" She scolded her friend making her way towards the woman. 

"Hey it's wasn't  _completely_  my fault."

Giving her friend a look, Chaeyoung gently moved beside Mina. "Hey, Mina. Mina?" 

Stirring slightly, she saw her eyes crack open for a moment before dropping closed again. 

"Ugh, she's completely wasted." Chaeyoung groaned.

"Nah, she's probably just sleepy." 

"Ok, then you take her home." 

"What? No I don't even know where she lives."

"Well don't look at me neither do I." 

Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung stared at each other for a moment before scrambling to search for Mina's I.D. 

"Did she not bring her wallet or anything?"

"Doesn't look like it. Great." 

"Well, why can't she just stay the night with you?" She asked, raising her eyebrows in a questioning manner.

"Eh, well I already promised I'd let Nayeon crash at my place. And my apartment is smaller than yours so..."

"Jeongyeon," Chaeyoung began warningly. 

"Well it's been fun Chae, but I gotta blast!" 

She could feel herself getting a migraine as she watched Jeongyeon practically drag Nayeon towards the exit. 

Looking at the crumpled figure next to her she sighed. 

"Well, it looks like you and I are stuck." 

//

_As they sat beside each other on the dock, she felt the tension and dread building in her chest, clawing its way out._

_"So, um, I just wanted to talk to you about something." Chaeyoung got out not looking beside her._

_"Sure what's up? Are you okay?" Mina asked in concern._

_Shaking her head she clenched hey eyes shut. "Kinda? I just, I think. We should take a break."_

_Mina was quite for a while before she also shook her head and looked at her in confusion. "A break? Like, a break from, us?"_

_She swill owed hard._

_"I just, with everything that's been going on, I just need some time I think. By myself."_

_"Okay," Mina said slowly, "but, I mean I'm sorry? Was I was being too much yesterday? It's just, this is so sudden. Are we, well obviously not but- are we okay?"_

_"No."_

_(Lies)._

_"No?" Mina laughed somewhat bitterly. "Okay. I get that you need some space, but, can't we- we should at least talk about this Chaeyoung."_

_"There's nothing to talk about. I just, I think we've grown apart is all."_

_(Lies, lies, lies)._

_"Chaeyoung," Mina said, now rather sad._

_Taking a deep breath, she looked her in the eye and faltered slightly before refocusing._

_She needed to end this. Now, for Mina's sake._

_(Was that a lie as well? She wasn't quite sure)._

_"I don't- I don't love you anymore Mina. I've been thinking about this for a while now and, I'm leaving for the city soon."_

_Looking at her, she could see the shock wash over Mina; a small set of tears welling up in the corner of her eyes._

_A beat passed before she heard a sniffle and she was forced to look away, not being able to bear watching her cry._

_"Is that how you really feel?" Mina asked, standing up from the dock, letting the tears roll freely down her cheeks. "I don't want to hinder Chaeyoung, I want you to be happy. Even if that's not with me."_

_It would seem she forgot how selfless Mina was in the face of adversity._

_Of course she would make this harder for Chaeyoung that it had to be._

_"Yes."_

_"Alright then. I'm- I'm sorry."_

_(Sorry for what?)._

_She closed her eyes as another stab of pain shot through her chest._

_Chaeyoung didn't watch her leave nor did she move from the dock for the remainder of the evening._

// 

Getting both of them home was a struggle. 

Because Mina was completely out of it, she opted to carry the other woman on her back, which proved to be a challenge seeing as she was a bit that than herself. 

But still, she slowly trudged back to her apartment, only  _almost_  dropping Mina once while she ascended the stairs. 

Thankfully, once she arrived at the door Mina began to stir allowing her to set her down so she could unlock it. 

"Where am I?" 

"Mina, it's me, Chaeyoung?" She said while pushing the door open with her foot. 

"Chaeyoung? Officer Son?"

"Yeah, it's me." Crouching down, she gently tucked Mina's hair back behind her ear. "Looks like you drank quite a bit tonight, and because I didn't know where you lived I just brought you back to my place is that alright?" 

Mina looked up in a daze but nodded anyway. 

"Do you want to come inside?" 

Another nod.

Together, Chaeyoung was able to guide and settle Mina into her bed after lending her some night clothes to wear. 

"Is there anything else you need?" She asked, setting a glass of water and aspirin on the nightstand for the morning.

Shaking her head, Mina looked up at her, still obvious very intoxicated. 

"Ok, well. I'll be just outside if you need me." 

Just as she was about to make her way out, a hand shot out and grabbed hers. 

"Thank you, Chae." Mina said quietly, gripping her hand rather tightly.

"Yeah, of course." She replied, squeeze her hand back.

// 

_"I see you fulfilled your duty." A man behind her said, pulling her attention away from the stillness of the lake._

_She knew who it was without turning around, anticipating their arrival. "What happens now then."_

_"You leave? Don't try to contact her again? You know, just fall of the map for a bit."_

_Standing up she faced him and spoke. "And you? You'll hold up your end of the bargain as well?"_

_"Of course." Her father said, smiling at her._

_She should have known not to trust him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Just wanted to add a small disclaimer here (probably long overdue but: I'm not associated with any field of the law so my knowledge is very limited). With that said, I do try to keep it as authentic as possible.


	7. Pieces

_“...You and me, got ourselves a problem, I can see this, better than I solve em, I believed, I found a way around it, I will leave, this better than I found it...There’s too much smoke to see it, there’s too much broke to feel this (I love you, I love you), and all of your pieces...History’s a letter made of scarlet, victories look better when you’ve called it, misery’s the moment when I lost you, it’s pleasure in a costume, it’s more than what it cost you…” Andrew Belle: Pieces_

//

"Mexican?" 

"Too heavy."

"Italian?" 

"Mm." 

"Ok, what about Greek."

"That place on 36th?" Momo asked, smiling slightly. 

"Sure, sounds good." 

Putting the cruiser into drive, Chaeyoung pulled away from the curb and merged into traffic.

The past couple weeks had been a whirlwind. 

Between cases, trying to figure out what Jihyo and Sana where up to and working with the new unit, she was exhausted. And besides that, avoiding Mina had proven to be impossible. 

And she was fine with that. 

Well, fine might have been stretching it but what could she do? 

Somedays, she felt like it was back when they were younger; back when things were simpler. 

It was like things were there same between them (but they weren't).

Mina would laugh at her jokes the same way, her smile was the same, her face, though more mature was more or less the same. 

She  _felt_  the same, but she was so, so, so different. 

Close and yet so far away she supposed was the saying.

_What a load of bull._

"Mind if I radio Mina and Dahyun to come meet us?" 

Putting on a fake smile, Chaeyoung turned and shook her head. 

"The more the merrier right?"

//

_Joining the academy was probably one of the hardest things she had done._

_She couldn't afford to attend university nor did she really have the greatest academic track record; working full time as a bartender and server was about all she could do._

_And since her mother was gone and her and Mina, well, were over, she really had no one to turn to._

_That was what she thought at least, until one night Sana and Jihyo walked into her restaurant._

_"Sana? Jihyo? What are you two doing here?"_

_"Just doing a little reconnaissance for a stake out this week. But what about you? We haven't seen you since the funeral how are you?" Jihyo asked, immediately engulfing her in a hug._

_Shrugging, Chaeyoung shook her head. "Not much, just, getting by I guess."_

_"I never would have thought you would come up this way, what made you move?" Sana asked this time, also pulling her in for a hug._

_"Uh, just, looking for a change of scenery I guess." Looking down, she bit the inside of cheek._

_“What about school are you enrolled somewhere around here?”_

_“Uh, no, no. I’m just, doing my own thing. Odd jobs here and there sometimes, but, I’m making it so...” She trailed off laughing nervously._

_Sana and Jihyo smiled sympathetically before exchanging knowing glances._

_“Well,” Jihyo began, “I’m glad you’re doing well. But, if you ever need someplace to go or find yourself in a pinch, just, let us know. We always have spots open in the academy.”_

_Taking the small card, Chaeyoung nodded._

_“Ok, thanks.”_

//

Pulling up to the restaurant, Chaeyoung parked next to Dahyun's car and waved before making to get out. 

"Son, Hirai, fancy meeting you here." Dahyun said, laughing at her own joke. 

Rolling her eyes, she held the door open for the three others to enter. “Do you ever stop?” 

Still laughing, Dahyun shook her head. “No can do my friend. Anyway, I’m starving.” 

Settling down into a booth, Momo and Dahyun took a side leaving Mina and her to occupy the one opposite from them. 

“It’s actually a good thing you guys called us, I need to run something past you.” Dahyun said, pulling out a folder from her bag. “Do you recognize this man Momo?” 

“Mm, yeah. He’s pretty high up ranking wise in the gang. We’ve been trying to bring him in for money laundering for a while now.” Momo replied nonchalantly while flipping through the menu. “Why, you got a lead.”

“Maybe, what about you Chaeyoung?” 

As the file slid her way she couldn’t help the shudder that ran through her. 

There, clipped inside was a blurry photo of a man- her father- inside what appeared to be some sort of club. 

Next to her Mina also bristled slightly, looking the window while scooting further away from the file. 

_What is that about? Could it be-_

Before she could ask Mina what was wrong, Dahyun’s phone began ringing. 

“Hello? Ah, yeah we’re actually just with them. Uh?” 

Shooting a look across the table, Dfhyun’s face became serious before quickly sliding off into her signature smile. 

Taking the file, Dahyun tucked it under her arm and waved for them to order without her. 

The three of them watched as the detective stopped in front of the restaurant and began fervently talking into the phone. 

“Wonder what that's all about,” Momo said, quirking an eyebrow. 

Chaeyoung simply shook her head and glanced to her side. “Hey, you alright?” 

Mina nodded, looking up from her menu. “Eh, yeah why do you ask?”

She shrugged in response and looked down at her own menu. 

_What aren't you telling me?_

//

_After three months in the academy, she could say two things for certain._

_One, she was severely out of shape._

_And secondly, she found boxing to be a better catharsis than drugs or alcohol._

_“Not looking to bad there Chaeyoung, you certainly have a bright future for yourself.” Jihyo said, all while flipping her over and slamming her into the mat below._

_Groaning, Chaeyoung rapidly tapped her hand on the ground until Jihyo released her. “Urgh, I guess. But even after three months of training I still can’t beat you.”_

_This made the older girl laugh. “You’ll get there, don’t push yourself so hard. Besides, you put yourself down like that but you’re still on the track to graduate from forensics in less than a month.”_

_Grabbing herself a water bottle she hummed. “I guess you’re right.”_

_“Sana and I are going out after rounds tonight. You wanna come?”_

_“Yeah, sure, just text me the details.”_

_Toweling off, she made her way to the locker rooms before redressing into her uniform._

_“Hey, did you hear about that Son girl?"_

_Hearing the muffled voices, she stilled before tucking herself tightly against a wall of lockers to listened._

_"Yeah, I heard she got in on a friends request."_

_"Figures. How can management even trust her, she's gotta be you know who's daughter."_

_"Yeah, no doubt. I bet she's probably a mole of some sort."_

_"Tch, guess no place is sacred anymore."_

_Holding her breath, she waited for the two students to leave before stepping out of her hiding place._

_She really needed to get some answers._

//

After finishing an awkward lunch with Dahyun and Mina, they all returned to their respective cruisers. 

“Is it just me or were both of them a bit on edge?” Chaeyoung asked Momo as she began to pull out of the parking lot. 

“Eh? I don’t know I wasn’t really paying attention.”

“Of course you weren’t,” She muttered. 

“But, hey, where are you going?” Momo asked as they passed the precinct. 

“I need to check something. In the meantime, what can you tell me about the case you’re on now?”

“Mm, I mean not a lot? Unfortunately I can’t tell you the insider scoop.”

“What about the outsider scoop then? What can you tell me.”

Momo tilted her head and gave her strange look before sighing and slumping lower in her seat. “Well, the gang has been around the city for a number of years. Though it was only about, seven years ago that we really saw an increase in activity.”

That was interesting. 

“But before that?” She asked, pulling into a large storage lot. 

“Well, before that we knew about them, but their crimes were pretty small. Uh, can I ask what we’re doing here?”

Chaeyoung smirked. “No, but you can ask what we’re looking for.”

“O-k? What are we looking for?” 

Getting out of the car, she motioned for the other girl to follow her. 

“When my mother passed away, our house got foreclosed, so I went and took a lot of her things and put it into a storage unit.” 

Momo nodded solemnly, “Ok, sure. So what do you need to find?”

“That, is the thing. There’s something I think that could actually help you with your case. Financial records.”

At this, Momo raised her eyebrow. “Chaeyoung, I-“

“It’s ok. I know that everyone knows. My father was- is- into some shady business. I have a feeling my mother knew something as well.”

_And this might just be the leverage I need to finally get some answers from people._


	8. Let It Go

_"...Put the top down, drive to the sea, leave the city lights (behind me), let it go, feel the sunshine on my face, took some time but I found my place by letting go...You’re gonna see me running (faster than before), this engine's humming (man she gonna give me something more), if I let it go...Cause in the rear-view's only madness, I'm gonna save myself from Los Angeles, so tell everybody, you won't ever find me, I'm letting go...Let it go, I'm done moving slow…" Joshua Radin: Let It Go_

//

"So? Does any of this stuff look like something you could use?"

Leaning against the table, Chaeyoung peered over the large box of files to see Momo sifting through page after page of records. 

"Mm, possibly? I honestly couldn't tell you from just looking at it, I would need to have someone run it through a database.” 

“Ok, well let’s go get it analyzed.”

“Uh, well about that,” Momo said, slowly starting to set things back into their respective boxes. “I’ve already broken a lot of rules letting you in on this stuff-“

“You mean my family’s stuff?”

“You know what I mean. I really need to get this to Jihyo, she would-“

“No. Absolutely not.” Chaeyoung huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“Chaeyoung, please. You know this stuff, let’s just say some things are better left untold.”

“That’s bull and you know it.” Chaeyoung shook her head, grabbing at the box. “If you aren’t going to help me then I’ll go to someone who will.”

At this, Momo’s shoulders slumped. “Chaeyoung-“

“Look, I’m not asking for you to put your job on the line or for you to do anything illegal, I just-I just want you to trust me. Do you trust me?” 

“Of course I do it’s just-“

“Then just come with me. You don’t have to do anything else I swear, I’ll handle everything from here.”

Reluctantly, Momo allowed Chaeyoung to drag her back to the car without any further protest. 

“Where are we going to now?” Momo asked after they were both settled. 

“We’re paying Tzuyu a visit.”

//

_“Oh my, look at you! You look so nice!”_

_Smiling, Chaeyoung laughed nervously. “Jihyo, please."_

_“Oh come on, we’re just so proud of you.” Sana gushed, as they both fawned over her._

_“It’s just a ceremony, it’s nothing special…”_

_“Nothing special, Chaeyoug this is amazing! You’re finally an officer today.”_

_“Eh, yeah. Thanks.”_

_Smiling widely, she gripped the large bouquet of flowers closer to her and tucked her diploma tighly at her side._

_After nearly four months, she had finally graduated from the academy and was fully cleared to be an officer of the law._

_It felt good._

_It felt like she was finally getting some direction to her life, and now she was also one step closer to finding out some things about what happened to her mother._

_“We need to celebrate! How about a nice dinner on us?” Sana asked, raising the camera to her face to take a shot of her and Jihyo._

_“I don’t know there was some stuff I wanted to get done around the apartment-"_

_“Please, Chaeyoung. We want to give you something for all your hard work.”_

_She sighed, but smiled at her friends._

_They really meant well._

_“Okay, but nothing too expensive alright?”_

//

Stepping into the basement of the precinct, the air turned sour as they walked further into the hallway. 

“Ugh, what is that smell?” Momo said, pinching her nose making Chaeyoung laugh. 

“That is the stench of decomposing body my friend.” She said laughing even harder at the look of disgust on the other woman’s face. “Don’t worry, we aren’t visiting the coroner.”

Walking another corridor down, the two found themselves outside a large office space marked  _Research Division 10_. 

“In here,” Chaeyoung motioned with her head shouldering the door open. 

Inside, was a dimly lit room filled wall to wall with monitors and other varying computer systems, the hum of the machinery almost overpowering; and the chill almost unbearable. 

“Christ, it’s a freaking ice box in here.” Momo whined, pulling her jacket closer to her. 

“Well, it’s either have unbearable heat. Or blow the precinct up.” A voice came from the back of the room. “Honestly I’m fine with either.”

“Tzuyu, always a pleasure.” 

Raising her head above the glow of the monitors, Tzuyu smiled and chuckled softly. “Mm.”

“Anyway,” Chaeyoung began moving to set the box down on the latter’s desk,” I’m going to have to ask a favor of you.”

“Oh? And what might that be?”

“I need you to run some records for me, just, cross reference these for me.”

Shaking her head slightly, Tzuyu peered at her carefully. “Well, I guess, but, what does this concern?” 

“Nothing-“

“The Gang case-“

Speaking at the same time, Momo and Chaeyoung paused to look at each other. 

“Ok, it’s the gang case. I just need to know if any of this stuff is actually usable in the case or not.” Chaeyoung relented. 

“But, you aren’t even assigned to that case.” Tzuyu spoke, still reaching for the box. 

“Right, but, come on. You must know something- and these- these files have to have something to do with the case. Please Tzuyu.”

“I don’t know Chaeyoung..”

“I’ll put in a good word with Sana for you?” She tried. 

“Oh, I see how it is Son.” Tzuyu said, smiling but shaking her head all the same. “Alright, fine.”

“Yes! Thank you so much Tzuyu.” 

“Yeah, yeah. Now let me work, this could take a while.”

//

_So working in the field was definitely different from things she'd seen on tv._

_Or, at least, different from what she had learned at the academy._

_Things were honestly slow._

_There were no huge cases, no high speed chases, no online data base that she could hack into for information._

_It was just a lot of riding around in a squad car and helping her training officer arrest drunkards at two a.m._

_"Hey Son, want to come down to the lab with me?" Sana asked, stopping infront of her desk. "The coroner needs some help identifying a body."_

_Putting her sketch aside she nodded before grabbing her bag and following the other to the adjacent wing of the building._

_"So how are you liking it so far? The job I mean." The older woman asked as they led her to the basement level._

_"Uh, it's ok." She shrugged._

_"Just ok?"_

_"Eh, well I like it, it's not like that. It's just, I don't know. I guess I just assumed it would be more exciting?"_

_At this Sana simply laughed before looking back at her. "I suppose it's not all it's cracked up to be, but I'll tell you. A boring day is always a good one. It means we've done our job right."_

// 

"Are you done yet?" Chaeyoung asked for probably the eighth time in the last hour. 

"No, I told you this would take time." 

"Yeah, but it's been like, twenty years, how large is this database?" 

"I'm running them through every bank in Seoul, it's huge." 

Just as she was about to whine again, Momo's phone rang. 

"Hello? What? Yeah, no of course we're one our way." Hanging up, Momo immediately went to grab at both of them. 

"Hey, what's up?" She asked, confused by the others actions. 

"We've gotta go, Mina and Dahyun are stuck in an active shooter situation and we need to get to the scene."

Pulling up to the address Jihyo had given them, Chaeyoung immediately jumped out of the car and begin to approach the entrance. 

"Chaeyoung what are you doing get back here! It could be dangerous!" Momo called out, scanning the area to see in there were any lurking figures. 

"Mina and Dahyun are in there and we don't know what is going on. We need to get to them." She said, losing patience with her partners. "I'm not waiting I'm going in."

Ignoring their calls of protest, she gripped her gun tightly as she quietly pushed the door open and began to clear the first hallway. 

Suddenly, a body crashed into her, knocking her to the ground. 

"Ugh, Chaeyoung? What are you doing here?"

"Mina? I'm here to get you. And uh, and Dahyun as well, what, what happened-" 

A shot rang out from somewhere, breaking both of them out of their trance and making Chaeyoung spring into action. 

Going to pull Mina closer to her, she quickly opened the door to a nearby utility closet and pushed herself and the latter inside; engaging the lock and silencing her radio. 

"Thanks," Mina whispered, eyes darting around the space. 

"Yeah, no problem. But, you still haven't answered my questions." 

Pursing her lips, Mina finally looked her in the eye. "Yeah, I probably haven't been completely truthful with you. I guess we should talk."

Nodding, she holstered her gun. "Yeah, I think we should." 


	9. Four Walls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Half fluff(?) + half angst(?)

_"...You walked in and said (I've got some news), I didn't say all I wanted to, you know I told you that I wasn't scared (well I lied), you told me (babe I only think of you), and I said (all I've got is a bunch of sad stories), and I told them all before the night was through (and we cried), but we're here now..And I'm trying hard to make you love me but I don't wanna try too hard, and I'm trying hard to take it lightly...Those four walls now are the only place that I can breathe out, and those four walls now are home, those four walls now are the only place that I can feel, those four walls now are home...I wanna make you feel how I feel when I’m listening to love songs, I wanna take you to the peak of everything that you are (you're everything I need tonight)…" Broods: Four Walls_

//

"Oh, Chaeyoung? You're- you're arm." 

"Eh? Oh, shoot. I must have gotten hit by a stray." Looking down, she saw she right arm was bleeding. 

"Here, there might be something in this closet let me check."

"It's fine really, don't worry about it." 

"Don't be ridiculous," Mina said as she returned with a small metal box. "Here, let me see." 

They were silent while Mina instructed her to shoulder off her over shirt so she could clean the wound. 

"Doesn't look like anything too deep, just a graze thankfully. It will need stitches though." Rubbing a topical serum over the cut, Mina carefully began sewing. I guess I'm just not certain where to begin." 

"Just start from the beginning, we've got the time." Chaeyoung replied, wincing slightly as the needle continued to pass through the cut. 

"Truthfully? I guess it all started when I saw you." 

"Me?" 

"Mm, it was, weird. I didn't recognize you at first, with your short hair and all." Mina smiled sadly. "But, I had a feeling it was you."

"Why didn't you tell me? Why would you pretend like we never- like we had never met?" 

Faltering slightly Mina looked away uncomfortably. "I don't know. I just assume you didn't recognize me either. I just thought it would be better this way- I thought you wouldn't want to, you know, deal with me." 

That stung. 

But she supposed she deserved it. 

"I'm sorry." She whispered. 

_It was for your own good._

"It's ok." Mina said turning away from her. "It's all in the past now." 

"Mina, I-" She stopped, biting her tongue. 

_I still love you._

"Why were you and Dahyun here?" She tried again.

"The same reason you're going to Tzuyu for information." Mina deadpanned.

"How did you know that?"

"Momo forgot to turn her radio off."

Pinching the bridge of her nose she sighed. 

Of course she did. 

"You and I both want answers as to who and what is being investigated in that case. That's why I'm trying to find an in with Dahyun."

She nodded. "But, why are you so invested in it?"

"I suppose I could ask you the same question." 

Watching the other finish closing up the cut, she reached over to her the roll of gauze. "My mother. I'm trying to find out what really happened." 

Mina gave her a sympathetic look before finishing her work. "My parents hedge fund has a lot of investments. I'm afraid rumor has it they've been dealing with some shady people, and I want to find out if what they say is true." 

She supposed that made sense, Mina had told her that her parents were in finance. 

Before they could continue, a loud bang on the door startled them. 

Quickly reaching for her gun, Chaeyoung motioned for Mina to move behind the shelves. 

"Mina? Chae? You guys in there?"

"Dahyun? That you?" 

"Yeah, it's all clear you can come out now."

"Passcode?" She asked, wanting to take every security precaution.

"What the heck are you talking about, what passcode?" 

Mm, correct. 

Laughing softly she motioned for Mina to follow her. 

Slowly opening the door, she smiled at the sight of Dahyun fuming behind the door. "Yah, that wasn't funny you actually made me think for a second." 

"I had to make sure it was you didn't I?"

Grumbling, the detective pushed them outside to be checked for injuries. 

Glancing back over her shoulder she saw Mina staring back her before quickly looking away to talk with Dahyun.  

//

_Laying on her bed, she fanned herself before ripping off her sweatshirt in a flurry; stalking towards her window to open it in hopes of cooling off._

_"Still can't get it?" Her girlfriend giggled at her, grabbing the discarded textbook on the floor._

_"No. Yes. I don't know. Chemistry is hard." Chaeyoung pouted, laying down next to the other girl._

_"Mm, yeah."_

_"Hey."_

_"Hey yourself."_

_Scooting closer, she gently placed a chaste kiss on Mina's cheek before pulling back to look at her._

_"Can you believe we're going to be graduating soon?"_

_"We still have one more year."_

_"Yeah, but, you know. Close enough right? What do you wanna do after?"_

_"Mm," Mina hummed, setting aside her work to turn her attention fully to Chaeyoung. "I think psychology? My parents want me to major in business but that honestly sounds kinda boring."_

_She laughed at this. "Yeah, that doesn't sound like you at all."_

_"And you? What do you wanna do?"_

_She though for a moment before shrugging. "I don't really know. I don't have any special thing I'm good at."_

_"You're a great artist what are you talking about."_

_"Eh. I'm ok, nothing incredible."_

_"I can see it now," Mina said in exaggerated fervor, "Son Chaeyoung, renowned artist from Korea making headlines across the globe!"_

_Laughing out loud at the thought, she pulled Mina closer while shaking her head. "You're impossible."_

_"What? I can't brag about my very talented girlfriend?"_

_Smiling gently at the girl in front of her, she gently pushed a loose strand of hair back. "I love you."_

_"I love you too."_

_"Do you think- we'll be okay afterwards right? Even if we go to separate schools?"_

_"Yeah," Mina smiled, leaning in to kiss her fully on the lips. "I know we'll be okay."_

//

After being double checked by the medics, Chaeyoung went to go find Tzuyu back in the lab. 

"Hey, anything yet?" 

Swiveling around in her chair, Tzuyu nodded. "I think. I was able to trace the routing number from a couple checks to and old account registered in the name of Son Dongwoo. Ring any bells."

"Yeah. That's my father." She nodded in confirmation.

"Well, either way it looks like a personal account. Some mindless transfers here and there, but other than that it's clean. There was one thing that stuck out to me," Tzuyu said searching through the mess of papers, before holding one up. "This check, is still outstanding and its number still correlates with the account. Could be nothing but I can look into for you?" 

"Yeah that would be great. Thanks Tzuyu."

"No problem, this is actually kinda fun for me." 

Laughing at the response she looked away. "Hey, I know I'm already asking a lot from you but would you mind doing me one last favor?" 

"Depends on what it is," Tzuyu said raising her eyebrows.

"Can you look up someone for me?" 

"Sure, it even you have clearance to do that."

"I need you to look up someone outside the system."

"Oh? Mm, that's kinda getting to grey area, but-"

"It's the Myoui hedge fund. I want you to find out all you can about them and their investors."

"Myoui, you mean Mina-"

"Her parents."

"You think they have something to do with this case?" 

"I don't know, possibly?" 

"Alright, I'll look into it."

//

_There was one thing her father taught her in the short periods of time she saw him._

_One thing was definite, and also indefinite in this world- money._

_It could make or break you, it could give you happiness or grief._

_Most of the time Son Dongwoo got the short end of the stick._

_"Would you stop, I don't let you see your daughter to fill her head with cynical messages." Her mother chastised._

_"One day, she'll thank me."_

_She'd like to know when he thought that day would come._

//

Walking upstairs, she saw Jihyo and Sana interrogating Momo at her desk. 

Oh boy. 

Quickly turning around, she reached the first step to the basement before-

"Officer Son get up here this instant!" Jihyo's voice boomed from the front. 

Slowly making her way towards them, she hung her head low. "Yeah chief?"

"My office. Both of you," she said glaring at Momo and her. "Now."

I told you this was a stupid idea, Momo mouthed to her. 

Let me handle it, Chaeyoung mouthed back. 

Waking into the office, the two took a seat on the couch before Sana closed the door behind them. 

"Listen, before you go off-"

"What do you think you're doing looking into the Myoui case?" 

"-the gang might...wait, what?" 

"The Myoui hedge fund? Why are you digging Chaeyoung." 

"Look I-" 

Being interrupted again, all occupants of the room turned towards the door. 

There stood Mina, awkwardly stepping inside. "Um, I have a report, but, I can come back."

"Uh, sorry Mina," Jihyo said, plastering one fake smile. "Here, why don't you just give me that." 

Handing off the file, Mina shot her a questioning look before slowly making her way out until the door swung open again.

"Hey, is Chaeyoung- Oh." Tzuyu said as she paused in the doorway. "Oh."

"Please, come in Tzuyu, it seems you wanted to tell officer Son here something important?"

"Uh, well. It's ok really, it can wait-"

"That wasn't a suggestion Chou." 

"Sorry Ma'am. I found a connection between the accounts." 

"What accounts?" Sana asked this time.

"A large transaction was made by Son Dongwoo to the Myoui fund several years back. Not only once, but multiple times over the course of a few months." 

"So then that means-" Jihyo began,

"-it means my father must have owed money to the Myoui fund." Chaeyoung finished 

_It also means her father has more of a connection to Mina than she thought._


	10. For Her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Brief note, this chaper is written completely from Mina's point of view (italics are thoughts in the past). As always, I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!

_"...We are runnin' so fast, and we never look back, and whatever I lack (you make up), we make a really good team, though not everyone sees, we got this crazy chemistry (between us)...Jump starting your car 'cause this city's a bore, buying e-cigarettes at the convenience store, making new clichés on our own little tour (let's ride)...You don't have to say ("I love you", to say I love you), forget all the shooting stars and all the silver moons, we've been making shades of purple out of red and blue, sickeningly sweet like honey (don't need money), all I need is you..." Troye Sivan: For Him. (feat. Allday)_

//

_She wouldn’t have called it love at first sight._

_No, if anything, she was intrigued by the newcomer._

_With a backpack that was too large for her and an off white polo, Son Chaeyoung was a sight to behold in her small elementary school._

_The girl was certainly not like any other kid she had met before._

_Even though she was quiet and shy, Mina could tell that there was more there; a fierceness that had yet to be developed._

_(It would become the first of many things Mina loved about her)._

_//_

_“Woah! Chaeyoung that’s so cool!” Leaning over from her chair, Mina marveled at the explosion of color on the others paper._

_“Ah, really? I don’t know I’m just messing around,” Chaeyoung blushed and quickly scribbled out what she was working on._

_She supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised by that response._

_In the last three years of knowing each other, she would reckon she was the only one who knew about Chaeyoung’s passion for art._

_And despite the obvious talent her friend possessed for it, she would never show her work to anyone._

_"Are you going to join the art club soon? I think you'd like it." She tried, pretending to be occupied with copying the notes from the board._

_"Eh, probably not. Why, are you?"_

_"Me? Oh no."_

_"I don't know if I want to join a club, I think I'll be too busy with other things."_

_"Oh. Well, that's ok."_

//

_Middle school hit and everyone seemed obsessed with some guy or the latest  trend._

_And for some reason she felt herself falling behind._

_Not academically or in a social way, but in her own way._

_It was like, she got it- the whole pre-teen adolescent stage- truly, she did. But at the same time, she also wasn't getting it._

_She never really felt an attraction for that one boy the next class over, never really felt the need to change the way she looked or get into anyone's good graces._

_Rather, she simply found herself more fascinated with observing others._

_Though she couldn't relate to such things, she understood that it was a sign of growing up._

_A sign of "maturity" discovered at their age._

_(She wasn't entirely certain how that applied to her, but she knew that she was an outlier in some way)._

// 

_It wasn't until after her first kiss that she realized she wasn't entirely into guys._

_After a school dance she was left waiting for her parents, killing time underneath the bleachers when he came to find her._

_It wasn't great, it wasn't everything her friends told her about when they had their own first kisses._

_It was wet and sloppy and fumbling and she honestly wanted it to end as soon as it started._

_"Really? When!" Chaeyoung asked excitedly after Mina had told her._

_"After the dance."_

_"Was it- well, how was it?"_

_Blushing, she shyly looked away. "Um, it was okay?"_

_"Just okay?"_

_"Well honestly, it was weird and kind of awful." She replied making them both fall into a fit of laughter._

_"That bad? I would have thought you would say some romantic spiel on how great it was." Chaeyoung teased._

_"Watch it. No, it was just, wet. Wet and rough and I don't think I liked it."_

_Chaeyoung hummed and nodded. "Yeah, I guess that doesn't sound too great."_

_The pair was silent for a while until she was surprised by the other leaning in to gently press a kiss to her lips._

_It was like, everything made sense after that._

_The kiss was soft and gentle, almost asking instead of simply taking._

_Pulling back, she blushed hard and stared in shock. "Chaeyoung what-"_

_"Was that better?"_

_"Uh, well I suppose. I-I just wasn't-"_

_Breaking off into a whine, she buried her face into the pillow she was holding making Chaeyoung giggle._

_Her second kiss was shared with the best friend._

_(She would always tell it like it was her first)._

//

_High school came and now they were in the thick of it._

_With pressure from her parents to get into a good university, she found herself lost in textbooks and work._

_And Chaeyoung, Mina wasn't entirely sure what she was doing most of the time._

_Not like it really bothered her, she just worried sometimes._

_If she couldn't find the other in the art room, she was on the roof doing some kind of delinquent thing._

_Mina understood that her family wasn't the greatest._

_She understood that Chaeyoung was trying to compensate for the loss of her father and consoling her mother despite it not being her responsibility._

_She knew the other girl tried, despite what everyone else thought._

_"I wish you would stop that, you know how I feel about the smell." She greeted softly, pushing the metal door open wider as she exited the stairwell._

_Watching the other smile and snuff out the cigarette, she was immediately engulfed in a scent of smoke and mint; something distinctly Chaeyoung._

_"I know. I'm sorry."_

_Rolling her eyes she hugged back and stared out over the roof. "Mm, sure you are."_

_Feeling a kiss being pressed into her temple she sighed and leaned further in the embrace._

_It wasn't until their second year of high school that she and Chaeyoung really began their relationship._

_Coming off the heels of timid experimentation and the mutual feelings of indifference towards the opposite gender, they found themselves in a comfortable unity that seemed to please both of them._

_"I'm working on it, I promise."_

_"I know."_

//

_The following year was intense._

_With entrance exams one year closer and the increasing activity in the stock market, she found herself at a divid with her parents._

_In the morning she would wake up and eat breakfast alone, go to school, and then return to no one except the house staff._

_She didn't mind, she supposed the isolation was better than being constantly badgered about her grades or the like._

_It also provided the perfect opportunity for Chaeyoung and her to escape together from their own realities._

_That Spring would be the first time they went further than kissing._

_And, unlike her "first" kiss, she actually enjoyed the fumbling- the curious and shy nature of the experience._

_She found it quite endearing, and thought it was awkward in the beginning, Mina had never felt anything like it; brief and intense, it was a feeling of pleasure in which she realized her complete adoration for the other._

//

_The night of Chaeyoung's mothers death, she could remember the rage and hatred that was so uncharacteristic for the other._

_She remembered the tears, remembered holding her close and whispering useless condolences._

_Mina wanted to make it better but she knew that it was a crippling blow for her girlfriend._

//

_After Chaeyoung broke it off, she wasn't sure where that left her._

_She hated to admit it, but it a relationship that somewhat defined her._

_It was something she grew with and now that it was over, she was slightly lost on where to go and what to do next._

_They graduated together, but didn't talk._

_They barely even looked at each other._

_It was shocking to her, honestly. Chaeyoung hadn't shown sight of discontent before that and she couldn't think of anything she had done to warrant such an abrupt confrontation._

_But she let it go because if there was one thing she knew about Chaeyoung it was that when she spoke her mind she meant it._

//

_She went to college in the "big city" of Seoul and, despite the loud protests of her family, decided to major in law._

_She made friends, experienced new things._

_Her first hangover, her first one night stand, her second somewhat stable relationship that barely last three months._

_It wasn't really how she pictured her life to turn out._

_(She supposed she was naive thinking Chaeyoung and her would last)._

//

_As common the pairing of law and psychology was, being a part of the force was never something that she thought of._

_She enjoyed it nonetheless, and excelled in the position._

_Finding Chaeyoung again through her job was a bittersweet reunion._

_She hadn't really changed much, aside from the slightly shorter hair and matured face._

_And when she smiled at her it still produced the same feeling as it did all those times when they were younger._

_Their professional relationship wasn't awkward, but one could call it stiff._

_Chaeyoung didn't appear to remember her, or at least, didn't appear to want to talk about the past._

_(She would pretend it didn't hurt as much but as it did)._

//

Now, sitting wedged together on the sofa of her superiors office, she was conflicted. 

Conflicted because Chaeyoung remembered and still smiled at her brightly. 

Remembered and appeared upset about her not saying anything. 

Remembered, and was now digging for the same answers she had been searching for. 

She didn't want to see it as hope, but she still felt that connection between them.  

She knew she still loved Chaeyoung. 

(She supposed she never really stopped).


	11. Forces

_“…I’ve been thinking ‘bout it, on my own (and all morning), heavy on your shoulders, over and over (I’d settle for those forces)…You feel it in your bones but you won’t act on it, there’s something in your heart but you won’t talk talk about it, the sun surrenders (my mind wants to give me up)…'Cause I’ve been thinking ‘bout it ,and I’ve been dreaming ‘bout you, won’t do a thing about this, ‘cause I don’t wanna ruin you…I’ve been tripping on your sweet nothings (and I’ve lost it), and what you’ve got is magic, over and over (close your eyes and let it floor you)…” Japanese Wallpaper: Forces (feat. Airling)_

// 

Shifting uncomfortably on the leather couch, she listened intently as Jihyo and Sana discussed the case regarding her father. 

"So, let's look at everything again. These bank statements could be exactly what we need to bring Mr. Son in?" Sana asked a fidgeting Tzuyu. 

"Theoretically yes, but-" 

"-But the issue isn't the evidence. It's physically finding him." Jihyo finished, flipping through the new report. "Chaeyoung, Mina, I'm benching you for now-"

"Wait what!" She exclaimed in protest. "Jihyo come on-" 

"No arguing about this. It's a conflict of interest and I'm benching you until we've finished the investigation." 

Crossing her arms she scowled. “It could take months to track someone like this down, what are we supposed to do in the meantime?”

“I’m not retiring you, I’m simply taking you off this case. You’ll still do things with the unit and continue working on smaller cases.”

Hanging her head, she clenched her fist. 

This was not how she saw this panning out. 

"And since you disregarded your original orders," Jihyo began, "I'm putting you and Mina on the late shift for the next week." 

"Jihyo." She whined this time, not holding back in her anguish.

"You shouldn't have been digging Chaeyoung. The same goes for you Mina. Now get back to work I'm not paying you to whine in my office." 

//

So she was off the case completely, and now she had an extra eight hour shift all week.

And she had to spend those extra eight hours with Mina.

Slumping herself down at her desk, Chaeyoung mumbled angrily while swiping at the half cold coffee mug that sat next to her bag.

“Well, that could have gone worse.” Tzuyu muttered, leaning against the other's desk. 

"You think?" She replied sarcastically.

"Well I mean at least you weren't suspended or anything." 

“No, it's worse. I was benched from a case I wasn't even on." 

Tzuyu simply rolled her eyes. "If it's any consolation, I'll try and give you updates as much as I can." 

"Yeah, thanks." She sighed out, taking a scrap of paper and scribbling something down. "Here, it's Sana's personal number, which, you didn't get from me." 

"Seriously?" Tzuyu gasped out, taking the slip of paper in an eager manner.

"I know you didn't get punished or anything but it was still risky on your part and I'm grateful." 

"I- don't know what to say. Thanks Chae." 

"Yeah, better get to the lab before Jihyo comes nagging at you too." 

"Right." Tzuyu nodded, slowly making her way towards the exit. "See you tomorrow. And, by the way, I hope you and Mina work things out." 

Chuckling ruefully, Chaeyoung grimaced. "Uh, yeah. Thanks."

_Were they that obvious?_

Watching the younger one disappear to the labs, she heaved a heavy sigh and begin working through her own stack of reports that she had been neglecting. 

It would do for now to distract her mind from the impending dread she felt as late night rounds with Mina approached. 

She wasn't entirely sure when she stopped caring, or at least, when she let her guard down when it came to Mina, but she knew she couldn't go any longer pretending their history was nothing.

Not when Mina clearly remembered.

(And possibly wanted to talk about it).

Chaeyoung supposed that was something she had never grown out of- her inability to deny Mina anything when she looked at her in such a way.

And watching the latter from the corner of her eye in Jihyo’s office just now, only further confirmed the need to break the wall that had grown between them.

Confrontation was inevitable it would seem. 

//

Night time rolled around far too quickly for Chaeyoung’s liking, but still, she held her shoulders back and smiled politely at Mina when she slid into the passenger's seat of the cruiser. 

Clearing her throat and clenching her fist around the clutch of the car she begin.

"So...uh, the force huh?" 

Glancing over in surprise at the question, Mina tilted her head. "The force?"

"I just meant- I never thought. You never mentioned police work."

"Oh. Well, I didn't intend to become an officer. I mean I'm technically not an officer, just, a consultant. Just a lawyer with a minor in psychology." 

Nodding, Chaeyoung smiled slightly. "You always loved psychology." 

"Yes. I did." 

"And, your parents?"

Mina clicked her tongue and turned her gaze back out the window. "I haven't spoken to either of them since graduation. As you might remember, they were never keen on me going into such a profession."

"Yeah. I remember." Chaeyoung swallowed harshly, peering at the other woman from the side of her eye. “How have you been? These past couple years, I’m sorry I haven’t-" 

"If you're going to apologize please don't." Mina spoke, finally turning to look at her. 

"But-"

"There's nothing to apologize for Chaeyoung. It's- you made it pretty clear the last time we spoke about, us, that it wasn't meant to be. And that’s ok. I’ve been ok. Just working really." 

“Oh, well that’s- that’s good.” 

To the previous statement, she wanted to shake her head- to refute what Mina had just said as the most blatant lie ever told. 

But she stopped herself because even though they had come so far, she still was unsure of how deep Mina wanted to get. 

What she was certain of was the feeling she had when they were together, and that she still possessed the ability to absolutely  _ruin_  a certain Myoui Mina. 

"I won't apologize for what I said then, but, I just want you to know that I will always be on your side."

Closing her eyes, Mina took in a shaky breath. "What are we doing Chaeyoung? What do you want.” 

Leaning her head back she absentmindedly traced the bandage that resided beneath her sleeve. “I don’t know, maybe a pay raise? A nice slice of pizza from that place on twelfth street that gives you two-for-one after nine? A washing machine that doesn’t rattle?” 

The smile that spread across her face only widened when she felt a gentle push at her side and heard the barely muffled laughter from beside her. 

“Chaeyoung, I’m trying to be serious.” 

“I know. Me too.” She replied, taking a breath before looking directly into the others’ eyes. “I want to know what  _you_  want Mina. I know what I want, but I- I’m not sure if you feel the same.” 

“I don’t know.” Mina said, biting her lip. “It’s not like we can just start again Chaeyoung. It doesn’t work that way.” 

“I know. I get that, but, it’s a start? She asked hopefully. “Back then, I was just- impulsive. And I should have talked to you. I want to get it right this time. I want this- us- to work. Because honestly, I haven’t stopped thinking about you.” 

Watching Mina inhale harshly and blink rapidly was enough for her to stop. 

“I think it was time we were truthful with each other Chaeyoung. Can we do that? If we want to solve this we need to trust each other.” 

“Of course.” 

"We should- go slow. I think, that would be best."

"Right. Slow, got it."

// 

Finally watching the clock hit four a.m. was a godsend after aimlessly riding around the deserted streets for hours in relative silence. 

"Where do you live? I can drop you off before I leave this back at the station." Chaeyoung offered while slowing for the red light. 

"It's alright, I think I can catch the last bus to my apartment before they close down for the night."

"Mina it's four in the morning, there's no way I'm letting you ride public transportation at this hour." 

Mina laughed and looked over to the driver's seat. "It's ok really. I only live a little past the outskirts the city." 

"Outside the city? That's like thirty minutes Mina. Plus, all the streets going out are kinda sketchy." 

"I have to go home somehow Chaeyoung."

"I can drive you, or, I mean," Blushing she scratched at the back of her neck, "you can always crash at my place. We need to be back for morning shift soon and I only live a couple blocks over."

 _It wouldn’t be the first time anyway,_ she thought back to the night at the bar with Jeongyeon _._

"I would need another change of clothes..."

"You can wash them at my place."

"With the machine that rattles?" Mina  cracked a small grin. 

"Yeah. The very one." 

"Alright. If you really don't mind." Mina relented. 

"I don't, really." 

Pulling into the lot, Chaeyoung parked the cruiser in the appropriate spot before reaching into the trunk to grab her backpack. "Are you hungry or anything?" 

"Not really, thank you though." 

Walking side by side down the street, she quietly appraised Mina's waving figure a few steps ahead of her. 

Illuminated by only the dim lampposts that lined the sidewalk, she would say that it only emphasized the other woman's soft qualities that Chaeyoung loved. 

The conflicting feelings inside of her still raged. 

To tell her, or not to tell her. 

Head versus heart.

(If they were to trust each other, they would need to be completely transparent with the other).

"Mina," she gently called out from behind.

"Mm?" 

"About earlier- um, you know my father never came by except for when my mother allowed him."

"Yeah, you would always leave school early those days." Mina nodded, slowing her pace to walk next to her again.

"Well, when my mom passed away, he stopped by. The night of the funeral." 

"Oh? After?"

"Yeah. After. You offered to stay with me, remember. But I told you- I wanted you to spend time with your parents." 

"I should have stayed with you-"

"No, I'm actually glad that you didn't. After I got home, he was there. And he was saying all this- stuff. About you. I don't know how, but he must have been keeping tabs on me and-" 

"Is that why? Why you left?" Mina stopped and gripped her arm. "Did he threaten you?" 

"Well- sort of."

_He did worse. He threatened you._

"Sort of? Chaeyoung please, just tell me. What did he say."

Gently taking Mina's hand from her arm she smoothed a thumb across raised knuckles. "He just said, things. Things that implicated you, and I- if I didn't leave things would happen."

"To me?"

"Yeah."

Silently she watched as Mina's jaw tensed. "You should have talked to me. I could have handled myself-" 

"You don't know that." Chaeyoung argued with a firm tone. "Neither of knew- know- what he's capable of. What he wants. And I wasn't about to take that risk. I know I should have talked to you, and I wanted to, trust me. But I had to leave. Do you understand?" 

"Yes." Mina whispers while looking at the ground. "That doesn't mean I agree. But, I get it. Does that mean, well, earlier- do you still-" 

"Of course," Chaeyoung spoke barely above a whisper while taking a step closer. "I don't think I could ever stop."

(She could never stop loving Myoui Mina). 

Staring at full lips, she blinked before closing her eyes completely and taking a step back when she realized Mina had looked away, red blazing across her face. 

Slow. They were going to take things slow. 

"I- uh. We should, hurry up. It's only a couple more blocks." 

// 

It only took them another ten minutes for them to arrive at the apartment, but it took her at least five to finally jiggle the lock open. 

"Sorry, it's not the greatest building ever." 

"It's fine." 

Stepping in, Chaeyoung quickly threw her keys into the bowl next to the door. "So, this is it. The bedroom is through that door, the bathroom is that one on the left. The kitchen is over there, and this- is the living room."

"It's nice. Cozier than I remember." Mina smiled as she looked around the space. 

"Here I'll get you some clothes to change into and then we can wash what you're wearing." 

Locating a pair of oversized sweats and an old t-shirt, she waited on the couch until Mina reappeared. 

(She would never admit it, but seeing Mina in her clothes made her feel things; it was definitely a factor in the heat that spread through her cheeks). 

"You can take the bed. I'll just sleep out here on the couch." 

"Are you sure? I don't mind the couch." Mina asked, too tired to truly debate where she slept. 

"Yeah. You're my guest. It's only right." 

"Well, if you insist. Thank you again Chaeyoung." 

"Yeah. My pleasure. Sleep well." 

Mina smiled before slipping silently into the bedroom and closing the door behind her. 

Staring off into space, she sighed and settled herself on the couch as a million thoughts occupied her head.

Throwing the blanket over herself, she tried to block out everything that had happened that day- only falling asleep after listening to the rhythmic clatter of the washing machine. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Apologies for taking so long with this chapter! (Also, Happy Tzuyu Day!)


	12. Black & Blue

_"...How long has it been, shall we get into it again, excuse our disgrace (we've had no time to paint the place), the dog is always barking at the mailman...I won't waste your time with my revelation, hello my friend (I see you're back again), hello mystery (don't bother to explain), how 'bout maybe (it's all been in my head), hey world I'm tired of this black and blue (black and blue)..." Miike Snow: Black & Blue_

_//_

Between the knot in her back and her splitting headache, there were only two scenarios that made sense to her in that moment. 

One, someone had decided to break into her apartment, or two, she hit her head way too hard when she fell off the couch and was currently in an injury induced haze. 

Sitting up slowly, she peered over the coffee table into the kitchen area where the rather prominent noises were coming from- only to meet eyes with someone leaning over the bar. 

“Chaeyoung? Why are you on the floor?” Mina questioned, cocking her head to the side in an amused manner. 

“Um, I was, just- stretching. Just stretching. Like I do. Every morning. Yup.” Internally scolding herself, she quickly stood up to fix her tousled hair. "Um, what are you doing?"

"I made us food, sorry to use the kitchen without asking, but, well you were sleeping so I didn't want to wake you up." 

"Oh, no, yeah thanks that's great. I honestly can't remember the last time I had actually cooked for myself." Chaeyoung forced a laugh out while walking into the kitchen.

"I figured with how bare your fridge was." Mina smiled, taking a seat the table where two plates of eggs and toast sat. "But more importantly, I think we need to figure out what our next move is." 

"Totally. Yes." She nodded in agreement.

"Great," Mina spoke, getting straight to business, "well it seems like we're the only two out of the loop, at least, completely out of the loop. I have a hunch Sana and Jihyo are the only ones who truly understand what's going on." 

"Oh? How do you figure." 

"Dahyun is probably aware of the gangs major players, but from what I've been able to gather as her partner, she only handles the gangs "minuscule" affairs, like, drug and firearm trafficking. She's basically in the same boat as us." 

"Except she really is just a bystander."

"Basically. Momo, I've heard she's been undercover for some time now." 

"If I recall correctly, about two years now." Chaeyoung spoke, taking a bite of toast. 

"So not enough time to raise herself to a decent rank?"

"I don't know for sure, Momo's always been kind of a toss up. I'd bet good money she knows more than she's letting on though."

"So we should keep tabs on her, what about Tzuyu?"

"Probably knows more too, with her skills I wouldn't be surprised if she knew more than Jihyo." 

"But she's on our side right?" Mina asked, reaching for a notepad to jot things down.

"I'd like to think so," she sighed while glancing across the table. "What about you?" 

"Me?" 

"Yeah. I just- it seems like you know quite a bit. I mean, you obviously know more than I do."

Mina hummed thoughtfully, never stopping her note taking. "After I graduated, I moved to a small firm in the city and was your run of the mill lawyers for a couple years before I was recruited to the force as a consultant. I only heard bits and pieces about the active gang cases in the area, but I did hear a couple rumors about how their operations were funded."

"The Myoui Fund?"

"Exactly. Of course, they were just allegations that never went through, but I wanted to know the truth. My parents may not accept my life choices, but they're still my parents you know."

"Yeah, I understand that." She nodded solemnly.

"And then, well, you showed up and with your name in the mix, everything became another degree of messed up." 

"Guess I'm good at that huh."

"Chaeyoung." Mina frowned and gave her a pointed look. "It's not you, it's your father." 

"Right, no I know. But, I mean, we have no idea where he is, no idea how he's connected to the gang, and we really, we have no idea how he's connected to your parents fund- just, that he owed money to them."

"True, but everything must be connected- It's too convenient _not_ to." 

Pushing her now empty plate away from herself, she leaned back and tapped her hand against the table. 

Mina was right, everything was more related than not, and if they could just figure out the few missing links- it could be an open and closed case. 

But finding out the truth at what cost? That was the real challenge.

"Okay, so if you could, what would your hypothesis be for the case." She questioned, crossing her and above her head. 

"For the case?" Mina parroted. "Well, I'd say that your father was indebted to the Myoui fund in some capacity, and had to make money quickly, probably from the gang."

"And that's a problem why? I'm not asking because I think it's right, just, why would Jihyo take such interest in a case like this. If you look at it from the outside, it would simply be a case of what, theft? Money laundering? Normal gang activity? What makes this so special."

"Right," Mina spoke slowly, as if she was just piecing everything together. "Jihyo isn't concerned because it's dirty money- what if she’s worried because of where the money goes? That might be it Chaeyoung!"

"Eh? Wait, hang on you lost me."

"Jihyo doesn't care about your father, she cares about the currency and how he's moving." 

"Right- because it's blood money?"

"No, well, yes partially that, but it's bigger than that. The Myoui fund is huge. It has hundreds of investors from around the world, but most are local tycoons. Now imagine if that fund were to collapse, it would be detrimental to the city's economy- and nothing would be more troubling to investors if they knew their money was being used to fund a gang." 

"So," she began finally understanding, "it's like a cycle. Investors give their money to the Myoui fund, who in turn, give it to the gang, which eventually gets back into the hands of its original owners? That makes sense, but how does that explain why my father was giving large sums of money to the fund?"

"To him, it's a business. The more money he invests in the fund, the more money he gets in return for the gang. That's one of the main reasons people use hedge funds, to gain for from the capital gains."

"But then how are the investors making money? It's just circulating between the two parties, unless-"

"They aren't making anything, unfortunately. Their money is there on paper, falsified, no doubt, but it's essentially depleted. They’re throwing hard earned money at a black hole." 

"Well, damn. That, that makes a lot of sense now." She blinked, still processing everything. "So it's like one huge ponzi scheme?"

"Kind of. I mean I'd just describe it as outright theft because that's what it is." Mina breathed, also shocked by their revelation. "We're still probably one step behind everyone though. If we could figure it out just over breakfast, there's no way Jihyo and Sana don't know." 

"Your right." She groaned in frustration. "They probably knew we were close, that's why they took us off before we figured it out."

"It would look suspicious if a Myoui and Son were on the prosecuting side of this." Mina reasoned. 

"I suppose. But you know if we let this go- if we let Jihyo do this her way- it could take years to bring this thing down." 

"Yeah, I know. But what else can we do? We're off the case."

"We might be off the case, but what if we _were_ the case?" Chaeyoung smirked, already formulating a plan.

"Were the case? Oh- oh no. You can't be serious, Chaeyoung that is possibly the _worst_ idea _-"_

Ignoring the rest of Mina's warning, she pushed her chair back before grabbing their plates to place them in the sink. 

If they were going to close this case once and for all, they were going to need to force _someone's_ hand. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry for being so late, but I already have the rest of the story planned out, and I'm hoping to finish it sometime this week :) As always, thank you so much for sticking with this story and I hope you enjoyed!


	13. My Trigger

_“...I saw you licking a dollar bill, I'm in the graveyard if looks could kill, but murder ain't your thing (you just shoot to thrill), but if you did (put you in my will)...Baby let's forget the money (forget the money) where you're winning, baby we could chase the sun, you got me gunning (pull my trigger)...They say your body is full of sin, but they can't see the world that we're in, your body is the portal where peace begins, I give you more (we can take a spin)…” Miike Snow: My Trigger_

//

"Can someone please tell her this is a stupid and dangerous idea." Mina pleaded, glancing around the room.

"I mean- it certainly breaks protocol." Tzuyu spoke, absentmindedly sipping on her coffee. 

"If that's what Son wants, I know she's just gonna go through with it anyway. Kid is more stubborn than I am, and that's saying something." Jeongyeon laughed out. 

"But going undercover to perform a sting? This is serious stuff we're talking about- what if she gets caught? They could kill her!" Mina added, venting out her frustrations. "Why can't we just have Momo do it? She's already infiltrated the gang, it's not like we need another person on the inside."

"Well, Momo is only so useful, no offense Hirai," Tzuyu looked to where Momo sat shrugging off the slight discredit, "we just need someone who's willing to break the chain of command- and draw attention doing so." 

"I'm still shocked you two were able to figure things out so quickly, I've been mulling this stuff over for months now." Dahyun fumed while flipping through their notes from earlier. 

"So, are you guys in or not?" Chaeyoung finally spoke from her seat at the kitchen table. "I know this is a risk for all of you, but, it could really make or break the case." 

"I suppose the reward out weights the risk, we'd be taking down a huge money scam along with a major gang." Tzuyu nodded in agreement. 

"But if it goes south then we'd tip them off that we know how they're being funded, and we could potentially get some of us killed." Mina dead panned, not liking her odds at winning this argument.

A few glances around the room and sighs of agreement were noticed, but ultimately Chaeyoung knew that this had to be done, and that it had to be her who did it. 

Putting herself in the line of fire was risky, but if she didn't, there was no way they were going to draw her father out of hiding.

//

Barely a week had passed before her and the team had a plan together. 

Momo would be responsible for sneaking her into the headquarters downtown while Jeongyeon and Mina would be waiting at a nearby location as backup should anything happen.

Tzuyu would be their lookout, monitoring her every move from a surveillance van out back. 

(From intel the latter had been able to pick up from some of the gangs more insecure servers, a big meeting had been called- meaning that her father was likely to be in the area). 

And Dahyun- she was to stay back at the precinct and keep Nayeon, Sana, and Jihyo occupied and distracted should they draw any attention to themselves. 

(They all knew that those three would figure out their scheme- and so they could only pray that Dahyun would be able tell a compelling story to buy them even a minute more).

"I cannot believe I'm letting you do this." Mina shook her head, obviously not completely on board with the plan.

"I know- but, there's no way around it." She tried to lighten the mood with a smile. "It'll be alright, I promise." 

"How can you promise that Chaeyoung? There's no telling what's going to happen and I-," Mina bit her lip, "I just got you back, I can't imagine losing you again." 

"Hey, stop that. I'll be fine- _we_ , are going to be fine." She moved closer to look Mina straight in the eyes. "I promise you."

"Please, just be safe." 

"Always.” 

“You know I’ll always have your back right?”

“I know,” Chaeyoung smiled. 

//

"Alright, all good?" She asked pushing the earpiece into place.

 _“Yup, good to go._ " Tzuyu's voice crackled over the com. 

Nodding at Momo, they both got ready to I infiltrate the building.

Feeling her hands being forced together with zip-ties, she allowed the latter to drag her to the entrance where two guards looked on in amusement. 

"Caught something Hirai?" 

"Yeah, found 'em snooping around the warehouse- is the boss in?" 

"Yeah- but he's in a meeting right now. Business." 

Thrashing a bit for show, Chaeyoung allowed herself to be easily overtaken by Momo. "This one seemed to be looking for something- think she might be important. Could be a spy or something, they might wanna see her." 

"Maybe." The one guard nodded slightly at his companion. "Found any I.D.?"

"How about you just let us in and we'll handle that later?" Momo tried shouldering her way past. 

"Not so fast Hirai, you know we can't just let you in." 

"Aw, c'mon. Can't you give me this?" 

"Nope, sorry. You know the rules." 

"This is why I've been stuck as a courier for the past year." Momo sighed out, giving the two a look. "Whatever, just do me a favor and maybe drop my name in there?" 

A small item was pushed into her fist as she spared a glance behind her- nodding slightly at Momo who "reluctantly" gave her up to the guards.

"We'll take care of it Hirai. You know we always appreciate your work." 

"Sure you do. Don't damage them too much."

"Of course not." 

// 

"Is the bag really necessary?" Chaeyoung's voice came muffled through the burlap as she was led inside and thrown down harshly into a seated position. 

Not a moment later the bag was harshly ripped off her head leaving her squinting at the harsh light of the room she found herself in. 

Blinking as to adjust herself, Chaeyoung was left off kilter as she found herself face to face with the person she least expected. 

“D-Dahyun?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! First off, I would just like to apologize that this is like a month late, sorry! I hit a bit of a wall in terms of the plot, but I’m determined to finish every story I start so hopefully making an entirely new outline gets the ball rolling again. Thanks so much for reading, and as always I hope you’ve enjoyed!


	14. Dignity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you guys hate me yet?
> 
> *insert the- _it's been 84 years_ \- gif here*
> 
>  
> 
> _//_

_"...You walk the streets, never feel no guilt, you make your money selling guns on the playground, I'm so ashamed cause we're all the same, killing in the name of money is the game now...My blood, my soul is my enemy...You manipulate with your bag of tricks, you're playing God with the world on my shoulder...So kids don't listen to your parents, the parents can't teach us, all they ever left was a world in a mess..." New Politics: Dignity_

//

She's sweating, and not because the room is small and smells like stale air- though that might be half the reason. 

No, she's sweating because there is the cold barrel of a gun being pressed into her temple and while she'd known this was a risky operations she didn't have any idea it would turn out like this. 

-

_"D-Dahyun?"_

_"I didn't want it to come to this Chaeyoung." Dahyun sighed, leaning back in her chair._

_It takes her own brain a moment to process everything- to go through every possibility as to why her co-worker- her friend- was sitting across from her in small interrogation room._

_And she could only come to one, unsavory conclusion that definitely had never crossed her mind before._

_"You're the leak, aren't you." Chaeyoung all but whispered out, sick from the feeling rising up inside her gut. "You're the reason my father seems to always be one step ahead of use."_

_"Congratulations." Dahyun blinks, face unreadable. "Though after Mina came back, I'm not too surprised that you figured it out."_

_The others calm tone was doing nothing but agitating Chaeyoung, and as she felt her frustration start to come to the surface a rather thick manila folder was thrown atop the table._

_"What's that." She asked through gritted teeth, silently trying to pull the loose blade from her sleeve that Momo had given her._

_"Records." Dahyun leaned forward to spill the contents out. "Photos, videos, recordings of calls, receipts- all from you. Some regarding you and Mina."_

_"Fuck you." Her chair creaked loudly as she pushed herself against the table hard enough to make Dahyun flinch. "I don't what you're playing at but just stop."_

_"I'm not-"_

_"I trusted you. I thought we were friends."_

_"You think this is up to me?" Dahyun raised her voice now, standing up with a glare. "It isn't Chaeyoung. It's not like I want to do this, trust me. You and Mina aren't the only ones who have been affected by this."_

_"Why didn't you tell anyone then, why didn't you ask for help." Chaeyoung's voice was pleading. "You're a good detective. And you care, I know you do, so why? Jihyo would have helped you-"_

_(She wanted to believe there was a good reason for Dahyun to do something like this- wanted to believe that the older girl was still the fun loving person she knew.)_

_Dahyun simply let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "A good detective doesn't have a gambling problem."_

_"Dahyun..."_

_"I thought I had it under control, but I obviously didn't."_

_"What did you do."_

_"It doesn't matter now." Dahyun sat back down into her chair, sending her a look. "I'm paying for my actions now, and you- you just happen to be apart of the consequences."_

_"What do you want then?" Chaeyoung continued to twist her wrists, silently rubbing the blade against her restraints. "Are you going to kill me?"_

_"There are a number of ways this could go." Dahyun looked away, and Chaeyoung sawed at the thin plastic a little faster. "I can either eliminate you, or we can come to an agreement."_

_"Agreement? Of what kind."_

_She could feel the widening division in the plastic, and so she stopped, wanting to wait until the right moment._

_"You stay quiet about this, leave the city, the county maybe. And don't contact Mina again, unless you want your father to follow through with his threat from all those years ago."_

_"And if I don't agree?"_

_"Then I'm afraid you'll both suffer greatly."_

_Chaeyoung narrowed her eyes, displeased by both options._

_She could see the holster strapped to Dahyun's side- could see the gun that was surely loaded, ready to use at a moments notice. If she was fast enough, she could release herself, tackle the detective, and disarm her._

_But Chaeyoung knew they had both gone through the same training and knew that plan was flawed in several ways._

_It was a desperate plan, one that could go sideways quick, but what other choice did she really have?_

_(She doesn't really have to think about it too hard though, because not even a moment later a loud bang was heard, forcing her body forwards harshly.)_

// 

She's jostled from her chair and thrown against the hard concrete below. Ears ringing slightly, she tries to focus on the cloud of smoke that spills into the room as a hand tugs her to her feet.

"Hands where I can see them." A calm voice calls out before a figure steps into the room. 

(She's promptly put into a tight headlock as Dahyun clicks the safety off on her gun.) 

"Dahyun," Mina steps through the entrance, a gun of her own raised with a calm exterior, "put the gun down." 

"I don't think so." Dahyun's voice falters slighlty. "You shouldn't have come Mina." 

"We both know you don't have it in you to shoot Chaeyoung." Mina testily takes another step forward and Chaeyoung can feel Dahyun's grip tighten as the gun is pressed tighter to her skull. "Even Chaeyoung knows you won't shoot her, isn't that right Chaeyoung."

It's not a question, and Chaeyoung looks at Mina, understanding that she's supposed to just go along with it. 

(Mina is a professional, after all.) 

Forcing herself to relax, Chaeyoung exhales slowly. "That's right, you won't shoot me Dahyun. Because we're friends, remember?" 

"Don't test me." Dahyun's voice is smaller now, and Mina can sense the shift. 

"I'm going to ask you one more time Dahyun, put the gun down." 

Mina takes another step forward, eyes locking with Chaeyoung's, trying to communicate silently. 

"Stay back!" Dahyun takes the gun away for a moment to point it in Mina's direction. 

"Now, Chaeyoung!" 

(And it all happens so fast- with a rush of adrenaline, she snaps the loosened zip ties and thrashes against Dahyun's grip. 

A shot is fired, loud and echoing- the bullet finds its way into the detectives shoulder.) 

"Argh!" 

The gun falls from her grip and rattles against the ground before being kicked away by Mina. 

"You okay?" Mina asks, still focusing on Dahyun as Chaeyoung moves herself to the opposite side of the room. 

"Y-yeah. Thanks." 

"I warned you Dahyun." 

"You did." Dahyun laughs mirthlessly, holding a hand against the wound that is now seeping blood through her jacket. "Why don't you finish the job, huh? Put us both out of our miseries." 

"I don't think so." Mina lowers her weapon, still glaring at the crumpled figure on the floor. "That would be too easy, wouldn't it? Besides, you still have something to offer us." 

(Now this was a side of Mina that Chaeyoung has never seen before, and she doesn't know if she's meant to be impressed or intimidated. 

Probably both.) 

There's sirens outside, indicating that their window was soon coming to a close. 

" _Guys_ ," Momo's voice filters through the radio in Mina's pocket, " _Jihyo's on her way, eta is five minutes_." 

"You hear that Dahyun? Jihyo is on her way, so you could either tell me what I want to know, or I could just hand you over and let Jihyo drag it out of you the hard way." 

"Stop bullshitting." 

"There's a reason she's the chief- and it's not because she's good at filing reports." Mina sighs. "Don't make this harder than it has to be- what do you have to lose at this point anyway." 

Dahyun's jaw works as she grinds her teeth. "He's on his way out of the country- somewhere in Europe to a destination even I'm not privy too." 

"To do what?" 

"He's done. He's paid back his debts to the Myoui's. He's trying to drop off the map now." 

"And the funds? The gang? What happens now?" Mina presses as the sounds of shouting from inside and multiple pairs of footsteps come closer. 

"Things stay the same- Chaeyoung's dad was just another pawn in the game. He was disposable at any time, just like me." Dahyo hangs her head. "You really don't get it, do you. People like this, they're so powerful even if you had direct evidence linking them to these crimes, you'd never get a conviction. They always have someone in their corner, this isn't a fight you're going to win." 

Jihyo steps in, face blank as she appraises the scene in front of her. 

It's too silent and Jihyo simply shakes her head, reaching to her shoulder and calling out for backup and a medic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know what to say except I'm so sorry this is like a million years late- there is one last chapter before this story wraps up (a resolution of sorts + an epilogue(?) that will be posted later today) As always, thank you to everyone who's read this story (and stuck with it!) :) I hope you've enjoyed<


	15. Umbrella

_"...Why would I stay quiet, when the time is right now, do you hear me callin' you, your heart speaking, heart speaks in volumes, and I'm seeking...Remember those days you stayed inside, remember those tears, those years you've cried, so why would I not hold you tighter, 'til your days get brighter...Baby, I'll lift you up like an umbrella, I'll make sure you're keeping your head up, I'll promise to love you forever, and I'll catch your heart like an umbrella..." Far East Movement: Umbrella (feat. Hyolyn & Gill Chang) _

//

After all three of them are escorted outside, Chaeyoung catches sight of Momo and Tzuyu, most likely being berated by Nayeon.

"I'm very disappointed in all of you." Jihyo begins, tone low and stern. "I gave you an order, I told you to stop digging- and you went ahead and went against me."

Chaeyoung swallows, not feeling brave enough to look her superior and friend in the eyes, choosing instead to focus on crushing a clump of dirt beneath her shoe. 

Lowering her head, Chaeyoung steels herself for the imminent firing she knows she probably deserves-

"I'm suspending you all for a month." 

And, wait. A month?

"A month? That- that's it?" Chaeyoung's head shoots up, startled. 

"Do you want it to be longer?" Jihyo raises an eyebrow.

"No! I-I'm sorry no." 

"You pulled a real stunt there, do you have any idea how dangerous that was?" Jihyo sighs, taking her cap off to wipe her brow. "And though you did disobey a direct order, you made headway in the case. We were able to send word to the airport just now, hopefully they can catch Dongwoo in time." 

"What happens if you catch him then?" Mina pipes up from her place next to Chaeyoung.

"He'll be tried in a court of law, and found guilty of his charges no doubt. We have enough to put him away for life."

"And everything else?"

"It's never that easy," Jihyo shakes her head, "it's progress though."

//

The compound is still being cleaned out as the sun starts to set. 

Chaeyoung sits glumly on the edge of one of the loading docks, trying to distance herself from the noise. 

"Can I join you?" Mina comes up behind her, breaking her reverie.

"Yeah."

Sliding over slightly, Chaeyoung watches as the latter folds her legs inward and settles herself beside her.

“What are you thinking so hard about over here.” Mina doesn’t look at her, choosing instead to continue to study the sun as it dips lower in the horizon.

“Nothing much.” It was lie, and she knows the only person she’s fooling is herself. “I guess, I feel like I should be happy, but I’m not.” 

“Are you sad?

“No,” She shakes her head, “it’s nothing like that. It’s just- sure, we caught him. But at what cost? I know more than I did before but I’m still confused. The problem still isn’t solved, and you...”

“What about me?” Mina prods, knowing that there’s something more.

She’s quiet for a minute before continuing. “The Summer is almost up.” 

This catches Mina attention as she finally turns to look at Chaeyoung. “You’re right.”

(They have talked, but they haven’t ever solidified what it is they are doing. Chaeyoung knows it was unfair of her to expect Mina to accept her back so quickly, unfair to assume that Mina has nothing in particular waiting for her after this stint at the precinct.)

“What are you going to do?”

“What do you want me to do?”

(They’re staring at each other now, just sitting alone- isolated from the mess of everything else and it feels too familiar.)

“I want you to stay.” She says easily, because it’s the truth. 

“Then I’ll stay.” 

Mina’s smile is full and warm and it makes Chaeyoung feel like she’s a teenager all over again.

And things have changed. 

She doesn’t smoke anymore and she’s cut her hair. Mina has grown her own out and knows how to shoot a gun. 

She’s missed out on a lot, they both have. Chaeyoung knows that they aren’t the same kids they used to be, but there were some things that never change.

(Like the way Mina’s hand feels intertwined with her own. Or how the older girl’s eyes crinkle at the edges when she’s happy.)

And she knows they’re taking things slow- respects that and even feels afraid herself to jump right back into their relationship as they were now, but she can’t help edging herself forward enough to gently brush her lips against Mina’s.

It’s soft, and Mina’s breath hitches as her eyes close and their heads tilt to press closer together.

There are so many things she wants to say, to apologize for. But Mina was never to hold a grudge, so when they finally separate Chaeyoung keeps her eyes closed and leans ever so gently against the others shoulder. 

(When she feels a gentle squeeze on her hand, and buries her deeper into the crook of Mina’s neck, trying to convey the words she can’t articulate.

She thinks Mina gets it, and allows herself to bask in the smell of jasmine and clementines, dreaming back to elementary school winters.)

//

The call rouses her from her sleep and she’s quick to throw on a change of clothes and hail a taxi.

It was always nights like these that made her more alert than usual, and it wasn’t often that Chaeyoung took the night shift, but when she did she was always worried about things like this happening.

Stepping into the brightly lit emergency room, Mina immediately spots a weathered looking Momo loitering by the circulation desk. 

“Momo!” She calls out, jogging slightly to the woman. “W-what happened, is everyone alright? Where’s Chaeyoung?”

“Hey,” Momo smiles, patting her back as she took in a deeper breath, “Don’t worry everyone is fine, well, not fine, but, it’s okay. We were in a stupid chase with a perp and Chaeyoung wasn’t really watching where she was going-“

“But she’s okay?” Mina cuts in. 

“She just smacked herself in the face with a street sign, so she’s got some bruises.” Momo can’t help the chuckle that passes through her lips. “She’s fine otherwise, you can go see her.” 

Letting the news sink in, Mina nods, relieved that the situation isn't anything too serious. “Which room?” 

“201A, at the end of the hall. You’ll probably see Sana down there, writing up her report.” Momo points in the direction of the room. 

“Thanks.” 

Her shoes squeak as she makes her way across the polished linoleum, and Sana smiles at her before letting her into the room. There on the exam table sits Chaeyoung, face clearly worse for wear as she flinches away from the nurses grip. 

“Ma’am, please hold still.” 

(Clearly, Chaeyoung is being difficult, showing off a petulant side of herself that Mina can't help but to find somewhat endearing.)

“Chseyoung-ah.” Mina announces herself, stepping into the room enough for the door to swing shut behind her. 

“Oh.” Chaeyoung’s head snaps up, face turning red at her appearance. “I-uh, I didn’t know they would call you…”

“You asked me to be your emergency contact remember?” Mina questions, a small smile playing upon her lips. 

“Right, sorry.” 

“It’s fine.” Mina maneuvers herself to stand beside the examination table and reaches to play with the others thumb and index finger. “How are you doing?” 

“Did Momo tell you?” Chaeyoung grumbles. 

“She did.”

“And Sana?” 

“Yeah.” 

Chaeyoung shakes her head and blushes from embarrassment. “It was nothing, I just- got caught up for a moment and wasn’t watching where I was going.” 

“Mm, okay.” Mina smiles widely now. “But, I still think maybe we should go get that eye exam I’ve been talking about.” 

“We’ll see.” 

-

They opt to take the subway home, not really in the mood to pay triple for a cab. By that time of night, it was practically dead anyway, quiet enough to be relaxing but noisy enough to keep them both alert. 

“I was worried when they called, they didn’t tell me anything over the phone, just told me to come in because something had happened to you.” Mina mutters into the empty subway car as they lean against one another. 

“I’m sorry.” Chaeyoung says lowly, “I’ll make sure someone is able to tell you the details before you come.” 

“It’s fine, but, let’s not make this a habit alright?” 

(There isn’t any urgency in Mina’s voice, nor is there any anger or anxiousness. It's neutral and it strikes Chaeyoung how that might be worse than the latter two.)

“I promise.” 

The rail screeches to a halt at a stop where no-one gets on, and they’re close to home now, only a couple more minutes and they’ll be able to sleep the night off. The lure of warm sheets and a soft mattress make her eyes heavy. 

“Tired?” Mina asks, noticing the officer leaning heavily against her side. 

“Mm.” 

“You can sleep, I’ll wake you when our stop comes.” 

“S’only a couple more minutes.” She mumbles, not quite fighting the exhaustion that began taking over her body. 

“It’s fine, just rest.” Mina presses a chaste kiss to the side of her head. “I’ll be here when you wake up.” 

(And so she does close her eyes, falling asleep to the hydraulic hiss of the doors and the warmth of a jacket being draped over her.) 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S FINISHED. Firstly, I would just like to thank you all for the kudos, commenting, subscribing, and reading this story :) I'm sorry that it dragged on for so long, but I truly hope you enjoyed! Thank you so much!


End file.
